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Arab News
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UN Syria envoy warns of national fragmentation following violence in Sweida, Israeli airstrikes
NEW YORK: The Syrian Arab Republic's political transition is under acute strain following a month of spiraling violence, Israeli attacks, mounting civilian casualties, and growing fears of national fragmentation, the UN special envoy for the country warned on Monday. Briefing the UN Security Council on the latest developments, Geir O. Pedersen condemned the outbreak of intercommunal fighting in Sweida and called Israel's airstrikes 'dangerous' and 'unacceptable,' urging all parties to respect Syria's sovereignty and international law. 'This past month has rocked Syria's transition,' he said. 'Mass casualties, foreign intervention and a surge in violations have drained public trust and created new dangers of fragmentation.' Violence erupted on July 12 in Sweida following a cycle of mutual kidnappings that escalated into armed clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes. The deployment of Syrian government forces aimed to restore order but rapidly unraveled amid accusations of serious abuses, including extrajudicial killings and destruction of property. 'Footage of extrajudicial executions, degrading treatment and sectarian incitement circulated widely,' Pedersen said. 'The toll was devastating — hundreds wounded and killed, many of them civilians, particularly from the Druze community.' Amid the chaos, Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Syrian security forces and Bedouin fighters in Sweida, and later struck near the presidential palace in Damascus. Pedersen denounced the strikes, saying they caused civilian casualties and further inflamed tensions. A second ceasefire was brokered on July 19, bringing a tenuous calm to the region, but Pedersen warned that the situation remains volatile. Approximately 175,000 people have been displaced and humanitarian needs are acute. The UN is seeking unrestricted access to deliver aid and conduct protection work. Pedersen also highlighted reports of widespread abuses during the clashes, allegedly committed by both government-affiliated forces and local armed groups. Violations include arbitrary killings, kidnappings and looting. 'The Ministry of Defense claims the perpetrators were an 'unknown group in uniform,' but accountability is essential,' he said, welcoming recent statements from the Syrian presidency pledging investigations. Pedersen voiced alarm at reports of abductions and disappearances of Druze women during security operations, raising fears of a broader pattern similar to earlier incidents involving Alawite women. He also stressed the need for clear disarmament and security sector reform, warning that the current patchwork of militias and irregular forces is unsustainable. 'The state must act with discipline and professionalism,' he said. 'Syrians need to see state forces as protectors, not threats.' Turning to the broader political process, Pedersen acknowledged that while many Syrians still support the government's transition roadmap, concerns over centralization, lack of transparency and exclusion remain. He said the formation of a new People's Assembly in September could mark a turning point if handled inclusively. 'It is absolutely vital that all Syrian communities and women are fully included, both as electors and candidates,' he stressed, noting concerns that some groups still face marginalization or intimidation. In Idlib, women who protested the violence in Sweida reportedly faced threats of prosecution, online harassment and physical attacks. Efforts to implement a landmark deal between the government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces also remain fraught, Pedersen said. The March 10 agreement aimed to integrate the SDF into state institutions, guarantee constitutional rights for all groups and establishing a nationwide ceasefire. A recent meeting between transitional authorities and the SDF, attended by US and French diplomats, failed to overcome core disagreements. Another round is tentatively planned in Paris. Pedersen concluded with a call for 'flexibility and wisdom' from all Syrian stakeholders. 'If the state is seen as a threat by key constituencies, positions harden,' he warned. 'Likewise, if local leaders reject integration, unity becomes impossible. The Syrian political transition simply cannot fail.' The UN, he affirmed, remains ready to support a Syrian-led, inclusive process that rebuilds trust, ensures accountability and restores the country's sovereignty.
Shafaq News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
UN Envoy urges end to Israeli violations in Syria
Shafaq News – Damascus On Friday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen renewed calls for an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Syria. In a post on X, Pedersen stressed the need to preserve civil peace and avoid retaliatory violence, emphasizing that the only path to stability lies in a 'credible, orderly, and inclusive' political transition. . @GeirOPedersen 1/2 Spoke with interim FM Shibani last night. Grave concerns over continued violence and targeting of civilians. Urged restraint, protection of all communities, and accountability. — UN Special Envoy for Syria (@UNEnvoySyria) July 18, 2025 The Envoy urged Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in a phone call to protect all communities amid rising tensions. . @GeirOPedersen 2/2 Stability and civil peace must prevail. Reprisals must be avoided. Israel's provocative violations must stop now. Credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria must be the priority. — UN Special Envoy for Syria (@UNEnvoySyria) July 18, 2025 His remarks follow fighting in Suwayda, where Bedouin tribal forces and armed factions loyal to Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri have been locked in deadly fighting.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UN envoy condemns intense wave of Israeli airstrikes on Syria
UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O Pedersen (Image: ANI) HARASTA: The United Nations special envoy for Syria condemned Saturday an intense wave of Israeli airstrikes as Israel said its forces were on the ground in Syria to protect the Druze minority sect following days of clashes with Syrian pro-government gunmen. The late Friday airstrikes were reported in different parts of the capital, Damascus, and its suburbs, as well as southern and central Syria, local Syrian media reported. They came hours after Israel's air force struck near Syria's presidential palace after warning Syrian authorities not to march toward villages inhabited by Syrian Druze. Israel's military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X the strikes targeted a military post and anti-aircraft units. He also said the Israeli troops in Southern Syria were "to prevent any hostile force from entering the area or Druze villages" and that five Syrian Druze wounded in the fighting were transported for treatment in Israel. Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported Saturday that four were wounded in central Syria, and that the airstrikes hit the eastern Damascus suburb of Harasta as well as the southern province of Daraa and the central province of Hama. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nature Meets Science: This Spray Is Turning Heads in Ear Health Stop Tinnitus Now Learn More Undo UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir O Pedersen , denounced the strikes on X. "I strongly condemn Israel's continued and escalating violations of Syria's sovereignty, including multiple airstrikes in Damascus and other cities," Pedersen wrote Saturday, calling for an immediate cease of attacks and for Israel to stop "endangering Syrian civilians and to respect international law and Syria's sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence." Four days of clashes between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters have left nearly 100 people dead and raised fears of deadly sectarian violence. The clashes are the worst between forces loyal to the government and Druze fighters since the early December fall of President Bashar Assad, whose family ruled Syria with an iron grip for more than five decades. Israel has its own Druze community and officials have said they would protect the Druze of Syria and warned Islamic militant groups from entering predominantly Druze areas. Israeli forces have carried out hundreds of airstrikes since Assad's fall and captured a buffer zone along the Golan Heights. The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. In Syria, they largely live in the southern Sweida province and some suburbs of Damascus, mainly in Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya to the south.
