Well begun is half done. A much-awaited ceasefire agreed between Russia and the US has come into force in Syria, and initial reports give us hope. There were sporadic breaches of the truce in parts of the battle-scarred country, but generally the guns fell silent for the first time in a five-year war that has claimed more than 270,000 lives and displaced millions. Considering the complexity of the war and the profusion of parties fighting on the ground, the truce can be sabotaged without much difficulty, but it can achieve a limited, if not complete, success if the signatories to the ceasefire show sincerity and determination not to buckle under the challenges. The fact that 97 fighting groups, as well as the Syrian government and Russian air force, have signed up to the ceasefire is indeed promising.
A Russian official said it has grounded its warplanes in Syria and established hotlines to exchange information with the US military in order to help monitor the ceasefire. A monitoring group said fighting has stopped across most of western Syria, although in a stray incident a car bomb exploded on the edge of a government-held central town of Salamiyeh, killing two and wounding several others. The United Nations, the United States and Russia have made a positive assessment of the first hours of the cessation of hostilities.
The truce is for two weeks initially and can be extended if the circumstances are favourable. Even two weeks will come as a boon in a war that has continued non-stop for five years and the lull in fighting can be used to dispatch humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of people in besieged areas. The UN security council passed a joint Russian-American resolution urging all sides to honour the ceasefire and allow humanitarian convoys free and unfettered access.
If implemented properly, this truce can become a crucial step towards ending the conflict and can be repeated again. It faces challenges from the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Al Nusra Front, which have been excluded from the ceasefire and which control large parts of the country. But what is important is for the parties involved to honour the ceasefire and desist from actions that will torpedo it.
US, Russia and the rest of the international community should focus on finding a solution to the conflict. Despite the truce, Washington and Moscow disagree on the terms of a final solution. Washington, like its Arab allies, believes that a solution lies only in the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad, while Moscow’s troops are fighting in Syria to protect Assad. Vladimir Putin’s stance is against Syrians and their revolution. Assad must step aside to pave the way for the installation of an opposition-led government.
Well begun is half done. A much-awaited ceasefire agreed between Russia and the US has come into force in Syria, and initial reports give us hope. There were sporadic breaches of the truce in parts of the battle-scarred country, but generally the guns fell silent for the first time in a five-year war that has claimed more than 270,000 lives and displaced millions. Considering the complexity of the war and the profusion of parties fighting on the ground, the truce can be sabotaged without much difficulty, but it can achieve a limited, if not complete, success if the signatories to the ceasefire show sincerity and determination not to buckle under the challenges. The fact that 97 fighting groups, as well as the Syrian government and Russian air force, have signed up to the ceasefire is indeed promising.
A Russian official said it has grounded its warplanes in Syria and established hotlines to exchange information with the US military in order to help monitor the ceasefire. A monitoring group said fighting has stopped across most of western Syria, although in a stray incident a car bomb exploded on the edge of a government-held central town of Salamiyeh, killing two and wounding several others. The United Nations, the United States and Russia have made a positive assessment of the first hours of the cessation of hostilities.
The truce is for two weeks initially and can be extended if the circumstances are favourable. Even two weeks will come as a boon in a war that has continued non-stop for five years and the lull in fighting can be used to dispatch humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of people in besieged areas. The UN security council passed a joint Russian-American resolution urging all sides to honour the ceasefire and allow humanitarian convoys free and unfettered access.
If implemented properly, this truce can become a crucial step towards ending the conflict and can be repeated again. It faces challenges from the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate Al Nusra Front, which have been excluded from the ceasefire and which control large parts of the country. But what is important is for the parties involved to honour the ceasefire and desist from actions that will torpedo it.
US, Russia and the rest of the international community should focus on finding a solution to the conflict. Despite the truce, Washington and Moscow disagree on the terms of a final solution. Washington, like its Arab allies, believes that a solution lies only in the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad, while Moscow’s troops are fighting in Syria to protect Assad. Vladimir Putin’s stance is against Syrians and their revolution. Assad must step aside to pave the way for the installation of an opposition-led government.
