UN authorises 300 Syria monitors

UN security council votes unanimously to expand its mission and demands immediate halt to post-ceasefire violence

guardian.co.uk, Jo Adetunji and agencies, Saturday 21 April 2012

Members of the initial contingent of UN ceasefire monitors in Syria
tour the Damascus suburbs. Photograph: EPA

The UN security council has unanimously voted to send 300 unarmed military observers to Syria to monitor the fragile ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and opposition groups.

The resolution approved on Saturday increases the number of observers in the UNSMIS mission from 30 and demands an immediate halt to the violence that has been escalating since a ceasefire took effect over a week ago.

It also authorises the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to decide when to deploy the additional observers based on "relevant developments on the ground, including the cessation of violence".

The resolution noted that the cessation of violence by the government and opposition was "clearly incomplete".

The British foreign secretary, William Hague, said he welcomed the mission and called for a full end to violence in the country.

"This resolution increases the pressure on the Syrian regime to begin a transition to a democratic, plural political system. I welcome the fact that the council reaffirmed its full support for this goal," he said.

"However, I remain extremely concerned that the Syrian regime is still failing to meet its commitments, and that there has been further violence and the use of heavy weapons since 12 April when a ceasefire should have come into effect.

"The Syrian regime must stop immediately troop movements towards population centres; end the use of heavy weapons in civilian areas; and withdraw the military to their barracks. The Syrian regime must ensure that the UN monitoring mission can operate freely and safely, and this must include agreement on the use of air assets."

Hague called for the full implementation of Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan, which includes starting a Syrian-led political process to address the concerns of the Syrian people and the right to demonstrate peacefully as well as a UN-supervised ceasefire.

"If the Syrian regime fails to take these steps and to comply with Kofi Annan's plan in full, we will push for further action, including in the UN security council," Hague said.

Related Article:

Kofi Annan: Envoy says UN Syria vote is 'pivotal moment'