Russian airstrikes threaten Syria peace talks, opposition says

Russian airstrikes in Syria are threatening the Geneva peace talks, the mainstream opposition has said after its representatives decided not to attend a scheduled meeting with the UN envoy overseeing the fragile process.

On the second full day of talks at the Palais des Nations, the opposition higher negotiations committee (HNC) called on the international community to intervene to stop Russia’s “indiscriminate bombing”, including alleged attacks on hospitals in Aleppo and Homs.

It repeated its demand for the implementation of UN resolution 2254, which calls for an end to airstrikes, sieges of civilian areas and for humanitarian access and the release of prisoners. The resolution underpins the Swiss negotiating effort.

“The [Syrian] regime’s and Russia’s actions gravely threaten the political process at this early stage,” the opposition statement said. “We need the international community to take immediate, serious and clear steps to ensure the credibility of this process. It is clear from the current situation that the regime and its allies – in particular Russia – are determined to reject the UN’s efforts to implement international law.” On Monday, Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, declared that the long-delayed Geneva talks had officially begun. But the opposition’s position is that it will not enter into substantive discussions with him until their demands have been met. As a result the HNC decided not to go ahead with a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Hardliners demanded that an ultimatum be issued about walking out. “De Mistura put them in a difficult position by trying to box them in,” one adviser said. “He was being a bit disingenuous.”

Armed rebel groups represented on the HNC object to the emphasis De Mistura is placing on the need for ceasefires without also pursuing talks on a Syrian political transition. The suspicion is that the political will to tackle the thorny question of President Bashar al-Assad’s future has disappeared, and that Washington, which used to call for his departure, has moved closer to Moscow’s position.