The Organisation for Democracy and Freedom in Syria

Alternative content

Get Adobe Flash player

Find a video

Ribal Al-Assad welcomes statements by UN Secretary General and Syria Envoy that a negotiated political solution is needed in Syria

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Syria conflict: 'Brutality' appals UN's Ban Ki-moon

BBC News (www.bbc.co.uk/news)

1 December 2012

Violence in Syria is "reaching new and appalling heights of brutality", the UN secretary general has said, as fighting continued across the country.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Ban Ki-moon warned that refugee numbers could swell to 700,000 by January.

More than 80 people died in clashes in Syria on Friday, activists said.

On Friday, Mr Ban warned the UN General Assembly in New York that civilians were being massacred almost daily across Syria. "Human rights violations are being carried out on a wide scale by all combatants," he said.

He predicted that up to four million people would be in need during the winter as a consequence of ever more brutal violence.

Mr Ban also said that "building a free and democratic Syria will require political dialogue and negotiations".

His words were echoed by the UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, who told the New York gathering that Syria would become a failed state unless a negotiated political solution to the conflict could be found.

Only the UN Security Council could put together a viable peace plan, he emphasised.

Commenting on the story Ribal Al-Assad, Director of the ODFS, said:

"I welcome and agree with Mr Ban's statement that building a free and democratic Syria will require political dialogue and negotiations and Mr Brahimi's comments that Syria would become a failed state unless a negotiated political solution to the conflict could be found.

"I call on the UN, US and the EU to bring together all the Syrian opposition groups onto one platform so it is genuinely inclusive opposition and to work towards a diplomatic solution based on the principles of the Kofi Annan Plan, which are to de-escalate the violence and have a ceasefire leading to a peaceful Syrian led transition through dialogue and negotiation."

More news articles