Hard Work Ahead To Forge A Peaceful Syria

The twin developments – the opposition conference in Saudi Arabia and the truce inside Syria – occurred as world leaders prepared to meet in NY in the coming days to discuss possible ways to end a civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people, created millions of refugees and empowered jihadist groups like the Islamic State.

 The meeting excluded Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and the main Kurdish force in Syria.

Syrian opposition groups agreed late on Thursday to establish a Riyadh-based negotiation committee, saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his clique should not be a part of the expected transitional stage. However, one powerful insurgent faction pulled out of the talks to protest the role given to groups it said are close to the Syrian government.

A list of 34 members of a secretariat designated to select the opposition’s negotiating team contained 11 representatives of rebel fighting groups, nine members of the exiled political opposition, six from Syria’s internal opposition and eight independents. The US has also called on Mr. Assad to step down, but has appeared to soften its stance on when that has to happen.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the declaration.

But sources inside the talks and Western diplomats said it subsequently signed on to the agreement, though this could not immediately be confirmed.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he will not negotiate with armed groups.

The stakes were high for the Riyadh meeting, during which the disparate and often competing opposition factions were held to a tight deadline to agree on the outlines of a political solution to the crisis and choose representatives for the talks.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said he would visit Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of the anti-Assad rebels, soon. Iran and Russian Federation support Assad.

That meeting, under United Nations auspices, was meant to follow up on Vienna and push forward plans for a negotiated ceasefire in the Syrian conflict.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has praised the outcome of Riyadh meeting, which grouped a vast range of Syria’s opposition groups. Russian Federation is a key backer of Mr. Assad and has struck rebel targets as well as IS positions.

It has seen the rise of so-called moderate rebels but also jihadists including IS, which holds swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and has set up a self-declared caliphate.

Assad insisted a majority of Syrians backed his rule and that he would not step down, as Syrian rebel groups and many Western powers demand.