The Syrian Opposition’s High Negotiations Committee threatened to withdraw their participation from the Geneva peace talks, should the regime carry on with the crimes it is committing.
The HNC, in a declaration published online, announced the arrival of its delegation to Geneva on the evening of Jan.30, and that this delegation will inform the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, of their abstention from attending the negotiations, after UN and international forces’ attempts failing to stop the regime’s violations to the people in Syria.
Opposition delegation member, Monzer Makhous, before leaving Riyadh for Geneva, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the delegation will restrict its presence to the hosting hotel and will not set foot at the conference palace.
Makhous said that the Opposition will hold deliberations with de Mistura in the hotel they will be residing at, and added that the deliberations will revolve on the subject of setting the UN resolution 2254 into effect, in an assessment of the Syrian regime’ integrity intentions towards the four conditions the Opposition has set as their top priority.
Moreover, Makhous revealed that the delegation holds a certain proposal mission from the UN special envoy; however he chose to remain reserved without divulging anything on the matter and settled for saying that the delegation will later discuss it with de Mistura.
The Syrian Opposition’s delegation expressed that de Mistura had stated his support to their cause, yet his limitations and jurisdiction as an international mediator does not have the proper tools to set resolution 2245 into effect.
Furthermore, diplomatic sources state that their expectations are low for the negotiations and deliberations, because of the difficult atmosphere they are being carried out in. The Syrian regime’s delegation is not anticipated to put forth any compromises, in addition to its first meeting with the UN envoy on Jan.29 having been dubbed as both edgy and strained
