GENEVA — The United Nations announced Monday that it would aim to start Syria peace talks Friday, as Syrian military forces, aided by Russian air power, made new gains on the battlefield, suggesting that even these still precarious diplomatic negotiations
GENEVA — The United Nations announced Monday that it would aim to start Syria peace talks Friday, as Syrian military forces, aided by Russian air power, made new gains on the battlefield, suggesting that even these still precarious diplomatic negotiations would bring little respite in the fighting for the next several months.
The U.N. envoy here, Staffan de Mistura, in his announcement of the postponed start date, declined to say who would be invited to represent the opposition — a major sticking point — or mention what would happen to President Bashar Assad of Syria, the lightning rod of the conflict.
Speaking on the day the talks were intended to start, he told reporters that he would only send invitations Tuesday, and shuttle among various groups of Syrian representatives until they can agree to meet face to face. That could go on, in a staggered fashion, for six months.
“We will be holding those proximity talks until we can hold direct talks,” de Mistura said. “We will remain adaptable and creative.”
Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, urged both sides to go to Geneva with an intention to negotiate in good faith. “If they’re not serious, war will continue,” he said Monday during a visit to Laos, promising to continue his conversations about the negotiations with his Russian and Saudi counterparts.
The talks would come after months of effort, led by the United States and Russia, to end a conflict that has killed at least 250,000 people and scattered more than 4 million refugees across the region over nearly five years.
The diplomatic developments come as Russian forces appear to be expanding their campaigns on the ground. Assad’s military, with Russian support, made significant strides in recent days, regaining control of a significant chunk of the rural coast around Latakia, a government stronghold.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday that 23 people, including four commanders and 15 other fighters from the Ahrar al-Sham rebel movement, were killed by a suicide bomber in Aleppo. Abed, a fighter from the movement, said the bomber might have been from the Islamic State, but, referring to government forces, added, “The regime targets the area from time to time.”
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