Protests set to test Syrian ceasefire
Syria’s fragile ceasefire is set to be tested by mass protests today, despite the continued presence of government troops and heavy weapons in urban areas.
Kofi Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy, said yesterday that Syria was experiencing a “rare moment of calm on the ground” and called for the immediate withdrawal of security forces from cities, in accordance with the terms of the truce.
Both the opposition and the regime claimed the truce was not being fully observed. State media reported “terrorists” had targeted a bus carrying soldiers to the second city of Aleppo with a roadside bomb, killing an officer. The opposition, meanwhile, said the regime was only “partially” observing the cessation of hostilities. According to the UK-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory, five people were killed across the country, three by snipers.
“To us it is clear that ceasefire implied withdrawal of all heavy weaponry from cities, populated areas. This has not happened,” said Basma Kodmani, spokesperson for the Syrian National Council, the opposition’s main umbrella group.
An activist in Damascus said: “All people tomorrow will say that demonstration is our right. I think tomorrow will be a test for the security forces.”
The ceasefire agreement called for the government and rebel forces to end hostilities by 6am local time yesterday. Shortly after the deadline, calm was reported across the country’s conflict hotspots.
The ceasefire is part of Mr Annan’s six-point plan, backed by the UN Security Council, to end the violence in Syria. But the plan also called for the regime to immediately stop using heavy weapons in cities.
With activists reporting heavy shelling of Homs the day before the ceasefire was due to take effect, there is widespread scepticism about its durability, in spite of the apparent quiet.
In New York, UN diplomats began to debate a resolution approving the deployment of monitors, which they hoped would be approved by today. “The absence of a referee is not going to be helpful at this stage because stories will start flying around,” said Salman Shaikh, of the Brookings Doha Center, a think-tank. “I believe we’ve got a small window.”
Jihad Makdissi, Syria’s foreign minister, said his government was committed to maintaining the ceasefire.
Additional reporting by Tom Gara in Dubai and Daniel Dombey in Istanbul
叙利亚停火生效 局面暂时平静
叙利亚脆弱的停火今日将受到大规模抗议活动的考验。目前政府军及其重型武器仍部署在城市地区。
联合国及阿拉伯联盟(Arab League)联合特使科菲•安南(Kofi Annan)昨日表示，叙利亚各地正经历着“难得的平静时刻”，他呼吁叙利亚政府根据休战条款立即从城市撤出安全部队。
反对派和当局都声称，休战未得到全面遵守。官方媒体报道称，“恐怖分子”用一枚路边炸弹攻击一辆向该国第二大城市阿勒颇(Aleppo)运兵的巴士，炸死一名军官。与此同时，反对派称，当局只是在“部分”遵守有关停止敌对行动的协议。设在英国的叙利亚人权观察组织(Syrian Human Rights Observatory)表示，昨日叙利亚全国有5人被打死，其中3人是被狙击手击毙的。
“在我们看来，停火显然意味着从人口密集的市区撤出所有重型武器。这并未发生，”反对派的主要代表组织——叙利亚全国委员会(Syrian National Council)的发言人巴斯马•库德马尼(Basma Kodmani)表示。
在首都大马士革，一名活动人士表示：“明日大家会说，示威是我们的权利。我认为明日将是对安全部队的一场考验。”
停火协议要求政府军和反政府军在当地时间昨日早上6时停止敌对行动。在这一最后期限过后不久，从叙利亚各地的冲突热点均传来局势平静的消息。
这场停火是得到联合国安理会支持的安南“六点计划”的一部分，目的是结束叙利亚国内的暴力活动。但该计划还要求叙利亚当局立即停止在市区动用重型武器。
尽管表面上出现平静，但人们仍普遍对停火的持久性表示怀疑。据活动人士报告，在停火将要生效的前一天，政府军仍在猛烈炮击霍姆斯(Homs)。
在纽约，联合国外交官们开始就一项批准部署观察员的决议展开辩论，他们希望这项决议今日就能获得通过。“目前阶段裁判员缺席不是一件好事，因为各种说法将开始满天飞，”智库布鲁金斯多哈中心(Brookings Doha Center)的萨勒曼•谢赫(Salman Shaikh)表示。“我相信我们只有一个很小的窗口。”
叙利亚外交部发言人杰哈德•马克迪希(Jihad Makdissi)称，政府致力于保持停火。
汤姆•加拉(Tom Gara)迪拜、丹尼尔•董贝(Daniel Dombey)伊斯坦布尔补充报道 译者:和风
都声称，休战未得到全面遵守。官方媒体报道称，“恐怖分子”用一枚路边炸弹攻击一辆向该国第二大城市阿勒颇(Aleppo)运兵的巴士，炸死一名军官。与此同时，反对派称，当局只是在“部分”遵守有关停止敌对行动的协议。设在英国的叙利亚人权观察组织(Syrian Human Rights Observatory)表示，昨日叙利亚全国有5人被打死，其中3人是被狙击手击毙的。
“在我们看来，停火显然意味着从人口密集的市区撤出所有重型武器。这并未发生，”反对派的主要代表组织——叙利亚全国委员会(Syrian National Council)的发言人巴斯马•库德马尼(Basma Kodmani)表示。
在首都大马士革，一名活动人士表示：“明日大家会说，示威是我们的权利。我认为明日将是对安全部队的一场考验。”
停火协议要求政府军和反政府军在当地时间昨日早上6时停止敌对行动。在这一最后期限过后不久，从叙利亚各地的冲突热点均传来局势平静的消息。
这场停火是得到联合国安理会支持的安南“六点计划”的一部分，目的是结束叙利亚国内的暴力活动。但该计划还要求叙利亚当局立即停止在市区动用重型武器。
尽管表面上出现平静，但人们仍普遍对停火的持久性表示怀疑。据活动人士报告，在停火将要生效的前一天，政府军仍在猛烈炮击霍姆斯(Homs)。
在纽约，联合国外交官们开始就一项批准部署观察员的决议展开辩论，他们希望这项决议今日就能获得通过。“目前阶段裁判员缺席不是一件好事，因为各种说法将开始满天飞，”智库布鲁金斯多哈中心(Brookings Doha Center)的萨勒曼•谢赫(Salman Shaikh)表示。“我相信我们只有一个很小的窗口。”
叙利亚外交部发言人杰哈德•马克迪希(Jihad Makdissi)称，政府致力于保持停火。
汤姆•加拉(Tom Gara)迪拜、丹尼尔•董贝(Daniel Dombey)伊斯坦布尔补充报道