International News

BEIRUT, (APP/AFP) – The US envoy for Syria has urged
rebel groups to respect a shaky nationwide truce after they gave its brokers 48 hours to stop a regime offensive near the capital.
Twenty-nine rebel groups on Sunday set the deadline for the US and
Russian sponsors of the February 27 ceasefire to halt an offensive by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the Damascus region.
“We recognise that the CoH (Cessation of Hostilities) is under severe
stress, but believe that to abandon it now would be strategic error,” Michael Ratney said in a statement posted late Monday on Twitter.
“If the armed factions abandoned the CoH, Assad and his supporters
would claim this gives them licence to attack all the opposition forces without international objection,” he warned.
“Please know that we share your concerns and have raised them
directly today with senior Russian officials,” Ratney said, addressing opposition factions.
“We urge all armed factions to continue to submit violation reports
to the United Nations,” he added.
Rebel groups on Sunday called on ceasefire sponsors to force the
regime “to completely and immediately halt their brutal offensive against Daraya and Eastern Ghouta”, rebel areas outside Damascus.