Kofi
Annan
Called Assad
Response
"Disappointing"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive Must
Credit
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 21 --
When Kofi
Annan gave a
closed door
briefing to
the UN
Security
Council on
March 16, his
statement now
obtained by
Inner City
Press called
President
Assad's first
response
"disappointing."
See below, and
here
for more
analysis.
16
March
2012
Briefing
to
the Security
Council on the
situation in
Syria
by
video
– link from
Geneva
H.E.
Mr.
Kofi A. Annan
Joint
Special
Envoy of the
United Nations
and the League
of the Arab
States
on Syria
Mr.
President,
I
thank the
Security
Council for
this
invitation to
brief you on
my
initial
efforts as
Joint Special
Envoy of the
United Nations
and the
League of the
Arab States on
Syria.
As
you
will recall,
when I took up
this mission
and briefed
you in
internal
consultations,
I stressed
three things:
First,
my
goals are
clear, in
accordance
with my
mandate: to
stop the
killing,
abuses and
human rights
violations;
enable
humanitarian
assistance;
and launch a
political
process to
meet the
legitimate
aspirations of
the Syrian
people.
Second,
my
mission will
be very
difficult and
faces daunting
odds. But I am
convinced it
can succeed
with the
united support
of the
international
community
behind one
mediator
effort, with
clear goals.
Third,
my
only concerns
in taking up
this role are
the welfare of
the Syrian
people and the
well-being of
the region.
The situation
is already
disastrous in
parts of
Syria. It
could become
catastrophic
if there
is not an
urgent change
of course.
Mr.
President,
Since
taking
up my
appointment, I
have consulted
quickly and
widely –
first in New
York, then in
the region. I
have
appreciated
the support
offered by the
Secretary –
General Ban
and Secretary
General
el-Araby, with
whom I am in
almost daily
contact. I
also thank the
members of the
Council for
the support
they have
expressed to
me.
I
visited Cairo,
Damascus,
Doha, and
Ankara between
8 and 12
March, I
was briefed by
Secretary
General
el-Araby in
some detail on
the Arab
League’s
efforts the
crisis in
Syria,
including
engagement
with
President
Assad, the
deployment and
withdrawal of
Arab monitors,
and
the
formulation of
the Arab
League Plan.
Many Arab
leaders and
foreign
ministers
briefed me in
detail as
well.
A
number of
interlocutors,
particularly
those who had
invested
heavily
in urging the
Syrian
authorities to
stop the
violence and
engage in
meaningful
political
reform,
expressed deep
frustration at
lack of
performance by
the Syrian
government on
commitments
made.
In
Turkey,
Prime Minister
Erdogan and
Foreign
Minister
Davutoglu also
stressed the
immediate
consequences
of the crisis
for Syria’s
neighbors. In
particular,
Turkey is
concerned aat
spill-over
effect
of the crisis
and growing
numbers of
refugees
fleeing into
Turkey.
Since the
beginning of
this month,
more than
5,000 refugees
entered
Turkey,
bringing their
number to over
12,000.
In
Damascus,
I met
President
Bashar
al-Assad
twice, as well
as Foreign
Minister
Moallem – I
will come back
to these
meetings
shortly. I
also held a
series of
meetings with
opposition
leaders, youth
activists,
business and
religious
figures, and
discussed the
economic,
security,
human rights
and political
crisis in the
country.
I place great
importance on
engaging all
relevant
stakeholders,
inside and
outside Syria,
and they all
welcomed and
stressed the
importance of
my mission.
In
this
context, after
leaving Syria,
I met a
delegation of
the Syrian
National
Council headed
by Mr. Burhan
Ghalioun in
Ankara on 12
March
2012. Mr.
Ghalioun
committed to
working with
me, viewing my
mission
as the last
opportunity
for a peaceful
solution to
the Syrian
crisis.
He was deeply
critical of
the brutality
of the Syrian
government’s
military
actions, and
stressed the
urgent need to
enable
humanitarian
access and to
stop the
violence. He
agreed in the
importance of
a
political
process,
arguing that
its goal must
be to ensure a
transfer
of power in
Syria. I
encouraged Mr.
Ghalioun, as I
have all
opposition
figures with
whom I have
had contact,
to continue
their
efforts to
build unity
among their
ranks under
one umbrella,
and
reach out a
broad
cross-section
of Syria
society.
Mr.
President,
I
now come to
the heart of
the matter. I
met with
President
Assad twice
in Damascus. I
spoke in frank
terms. I
explained that
Syria was at a
tipping point
after one year
of deepening
crisis and
bloodshed. I
told him it
was urgent to
change course
before the
situation
degenerated
further.
President
Assad
said he was
ready to work
with me. He
stated that he
embraced
reform. He
said the
problem was
not the
existence of
opposition,
but
the violent
actions of
militants,
some receiving
weapons from
outside. These
elements
needed to be
dealt with by
security
measures.
Furthermore,
if Government
troops
withdraw from
areas in which
militants were
present, there
would be a
security
vacuum. He
claimed
that the media
was distorting
the reality on
the ground,
and that
most
casualties had
been among
government
supporters.
I
told President
Assad that the
use of force
by any side
would only
prolong and
deepen the
conflict,
creating
bitterness,
hatred, and
radicalization.
I told him
that the
excessive use
of force and
abuses
of civilians
by Syrian
military and
security
forces are
totally
unacceptable.
Such abuses
are driving
what began as
a peaceful
protest
movement
towards
militarization,
providing a
pretext to
extremist
groups. I
warned the
President that
if this
continued,
calls for
further
international
measures would
inevitably
grow.
I
acknowledged
that militants
would need to
be disarmed as
part of a
political
process, but
the immediate
priority
should be to
stop the
violence and
bring a UN
supervision
mechanism to
monitor it,
and then
embark on a
political
process to
meet the
legitimate
aspirations of
the Syrian
people.
To
this
end, I
presented a
set of
proposals for
immediate
action. Let me
stress: these
proposals are
not a
comprehensive
list of all
the steps
that the
Syrian
government
will need to
take if this
crisis is to
be
resolved and a
political
solution
found.
Instead, I
asked the
President to
take steps
that are
realistically
in his hands
today, to
defuse the
crisis and
send a clear
signal that he
was ready to
change
course. I
signaled in
this regard my
readiness to
work in good
faith
to address
concerns on
his side. I
put six points
to the
President in
the form of a
Aide Memoire
on 11 March:
First,
I
asked
President
Assad to
commit to work
with me in an
inclusive
Syrian-led
political
process to
address the
legitimate
aspirations
and concerns
of the Syrian
people. To
this end, I
asked him to
commit
to appoint an
empowered
interlocutor
when invited
to do so by
me.
Second,
I
asked
President
Assad to
commit to stop
the fighting
and achieve
urgently an
effective
UN-supervised
cessation of
armed violence
in
all its forms
by all parties
to protect
civilians and
stabilize the
country. To
this end,
I
proposed the
following:
-
Immediately,
the Syrian
government
should
immediately
cease
troop
movements
towards
population
centres, end
the use of
heavy
weapons in
population
centres; and
begin pullback
of military
concentrations
in and around
population
centres.
-
As these
actions are
being taken on
the ground,
the Syrian
government
should work
with me to
bring about a
sustained
cessation
of armed
violence in
all its forms
by all parties
with an
effective
UN supervision
mechanism,
-
For my, part I
pledged to
seek similar
commitments
from the
opposition and
all relevant
elements that
they would
stop the
fighting and
work with me
to bring about
a sustained
cessation of
armed violence
in all its
forms by all
parties with
an effective
UN
supervision
mechanism.
Third,
I
asked the
President to
ensure timely
provision of
humanitarian
assistance to
all areas
affected by
the fighting.
To this end,
as
immediate
steps, I asked
him to accept
and implement
a daily two
hour
humanitarian
pause
effective 14
march 2012
upon request
of the
Humanitarian
Coordinator;
and to
coordinate the
exact time and
modalities of
the daily
pause through
an efficient
liaison
mechanism,
including at
local level.
Fourth,
I
asked the
President to
take the
following
steps
concerning all
persons
detained
arbitrarily
owing to the
recent
incidents:
In
close
collaboration
with the ICRC,
intensify the
pace and scale
of
the release of
such persons,
including
especially
vulnerable
categories of
persons, and
persons
involved in
peaceful
political
activities.
Provide
without
delay ICRC a
list of all
places in
which such
persons are
being
detained.
Immediately
begin
organizing
with the ICRC
access to
these places.
Respond
promptly
in writing to
all written
requests
through the
ICRC for
information,
access or
release
regarding such
persons.
Fifth,
I
asked
President
Assad to
ensure freedom
of movement
throughout the
country for
journalists,
and a
non-discriminatory
visa policy
for
them.
Finally,
I
asked
President
Assad to
respect
freedom of
association
and the
right to
demonstrate
peacefully as
legally
guaranteed.
President
Assad
committed to
work with me
and promised
to come back
to me in
forty-eight
hours with a
reaction to my
proposal. I
indeed
received a
reply from the
Syrian
authorities
with the
agreed
timeline. The
Syrian
government
committed to
work with me
on a
comprehensive
political
process.
However, the
authorities
insisted that
any pause
for
humanitarian
access would
need to be on
an ad hoc
basis, they
did
not engage on
the immediate
need to stand
down heavy
military
operations,
which I
believed could
enable a
process in
which
commitments
are sought
from all
relevant
parties to
enable a full
cessation of
hostilities
under UN
supervision.
Regarding
detainees,
free movement
of media, and
the right to
peaceful
protest, the
authorities
gave general
answers which
can only be
tested by
observing
actions on the
ground. I
would
characterize
the response
as
disappointing.
I
communicated
my
disappointment
to the
authorities
who maintain
effective
channels with
Syria. The
following day,
14 March, I
received a
further
communication
from the
Syrian
authorities,
where
they agreed
that the aim
was to halt
the violence.
They sought an
objective
dialogue on
the details
and mechanisms
by which this
could
be achieved. I
will be
pursuing this
discussion
urgently
through
technical
consultations
in Damascus in
the coming
days.
This
is
where matters
currently
stand.
Mr.
President,
Allow
me
to conclude
with a three
brief
observations.
First,
the
proposals I
put forward on
11 March
represented
immediate and
actionable
steps, aimed
at halting the
excessive use
of force and
human rights
violations and
at opening a
process
towards
serious
dialogue. I
appreciate the
Syrian
government’s
readiness to
engage,
but this must
translate into
action on the
ground.
Gestures which
show a change
in direction
could
immediately be
accompanied by
a
meaningful
effort
facilitated by
me to achieve
a cessation of
hostilities by
all parties
under UN
supervision.
Second,
I
appeal to the
Council for
unity behind
my effort. The
stronger and
clearer the
message you
can
collectively
send, the
better the
chance
that we can
begin to shift
the worrying
dynamics of
the conflict.
I
have been in
constant
contact with
Foreign
Ministers and
Ambassadors
from of many
states inside
and outside
the Council. I
have
appreciated
the counsel
and help
received from
all quarters.
I would
hope that the
proposals put
by me to the
Syrian
authorities
could
attract wide
international
support.
Third,
as
we focus on
the immediate
need to stop
the violence,
let us
remember this:
ultimately, as
inclusive and
credible
political
dialogue is
needed to
address the
legitimate
aspirations of
the
Syrian people
and ensure
their
fundamental
rights. The
process,
content, and
outcome of
such a
dialogue, if
ever we can
reach that
point, are for
Syrians to
decide, and
will be
crucial to the
future
of Syria and
the region. In
this regard, I
take due note
of the
corpus of work
that has been
done in the
past year, and
will urge all
interlocutors
to focus with
realism and
responsibility
on the tasks
ahead.
But
first,
Mr. President,
the violence
must stop and
the people who
have
suffered so
much must
receive
assistance,
relief and
protection.
This
is my
immediate
priority, and
I will spare
no effort in
this regard.
Thank
you,
Mr. President.
, 
