UN official: Syria is at a crossroads that heralds opportunities and warns of dangers

In a press conference at the United Nations office in Geneva, the UN envoy said that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is the main group in control in Damascus, but it is important to remember that it is not the only armed group in the Syrian capital. He noted the presence of a wide range of armed opposition groups, in addition to newly formed groups.

With pictures of celebrations in the streets after the end of the Assad regime, Pedersen warned that the transfer of power is also accompanied by reports of thefts and break-ins into government buildings or private homes, but he pointed to reports that these actions have also stopped.

The UN envoy said: “The conflict in northeastern Syria is not over yet. There are clashes between the Syrian National Army – the opposition group – and the Syrian Democratic Forces. We call for calm in that region.”

Pedersen expressed his deep concern about the movements and bombing from Israel inside Syrian territory, and Pedersen stressed the need for these actions to stop. In response to a question about his communication with the Israeli side, he said: “I am not in contact with the Israelis, but the United Nations in New York is in contact with them. The peacekeepers in the Golan Heights are in daily contact with the Israelis. Of course, the message from New York is the same, which is that these actions are a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.”

The UN envoy to Syria, who has been charged for years with facilitating the political process and Syrian negotiations, spoke about the closed consultations held by the UN Security Council yesterday (Monday) on Syria. And he said: “When I briefed the Security Council yesterday, I received a message from the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations in New York. He was addressing me on behalf of the authorities in Damascus.”

Pedersen stressed that much is still unknown about Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, and pointed out that its leader al-Julani said in an interview with CNN that there are discussions about the possibility of dissolving Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Pederson said:We are still in a very volatile period and things have not stabilized yet. There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity must be seized by the Syrians themselves, with the support of the United Nations and the international community.”

It is noteworthy that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is listed on the Security Council’s terrorist list. And he calls Security Council Resolution No. 2254 – Issued unanimously in 2015 – Member States seek to prevent and suppress terrorist acts specifically committed by ISIS, the Al-Nusra Front, and all individuals and groups associated with Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups.

Pedersen pointed out that the inclusion of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on the terrorist list may change soon, and he said: “You must look at the facts to understand what happened during the last nine years. It has been 9 years since the resolution was adopted and the reality now is that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and also other armed groups are sending good messages to the Syrian people. They are sending messages of unity and inclusion, and frankly what we see in Aleppo and Hama is… “It’s reassuring on the ground.”