IT WAS a brave attempt to generate diplomatic momentum. Four days into the American and Russian sponsored “cessation of hostilities” agreement that came into force on February 27th, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy to Syria, said he was expecting the warring parties to return to the negotiating table in Geneva on March 9th. Mr de Mistura had pencilled in an earlier date for the resumption of peace talks, which were suspended before they could begin a month ago when the Syrian opposition walked out. But he hopes that by allowing a couple of extra days “for the ceasefire to better settle down”, the chances of success will be greater.
Mr de Mistura’s use of the expression “ceasefire” is itself an indication of hopes likely to be dashed. A cessation of hostilities is more an orchestrated lull in the fighting than a formal ceasefire. Thus far, however, the agreement, although partial and fragile, is holding better than many expected. The intensity of the fighting has dwindled more than during previous attempts. America’s State Department said it had not heard of any “significant” violations of the agreement, though...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/219IhCS
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