UN OBSERVERS COMMENT ON SYRIAN VIOLENCE

(21 May 2012) UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous and Major General Robert Mood, the head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), held a news conference in Damascus on Monday.
They met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and were briefed by the monitors on the ground about the work of the groups stationed in various cities across Syria.
Ladsous reiterated some of the goals of UNSMIS, which include gaining access to prisons and consolidating confidence.
"I also suggested to the authorities that authorising some peaceful demonstrations would also go some way," he said. "All this is a matter of trying to build up peace and some degree of confidence so that the political process can get started and can gain traction."
There are about 260 monitors from the UN in Syria, more than 200 of whom are unarmed observers from 60 different nations.
Ladsous said they have until the middle of July to establish what they have been able to achieve with the observation mission.
"Will we be closer to a complete cessation of violence? Will the political process have gained traction?" he asked.
Meanwhile, the head of the mission on the ground stressed there had already been some achievements made.
"More people are engaged in the dialogue and the dialogue is expanding, and I'm going to be able to put civilian staff not only on the ground like in the team site in Homs, but in the other team sites," Mood stated.
The news conference marks the last of Ladsous's four day visit to Syria.
The revolt in Syria began 15 months ago, and there are fears the unrest will lead to a regional conflagration that could draw in neighbouring countries, notably Lebanon, which has already seen outbreaks of sectarian violence.
The UN estimates the conflict has killed more than 9,000 people in Syria since March 2011.


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