Americas

Americas

UN chief calls deployment of observers priority for Syria

08 May 2012 04:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said here on Monday that the priority for the moment is to deploy observers to Syria as soon as possible, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Ban called the Arab nation "the hottest spot, the hottest issue and most serious and gravest of concerns of international community."

"More than 9,000 people have been killed. The killing (has) lasted 14 months," he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank in Washington, stating "This is a totally unacceptable and intolerable situation."

"Our priority at this time is deploying this supervision mission as soon as possible," he said, noting the Arab League and the UN Security Council are trying to deploy the mission.

The observers are being sent to monitor the UN-backed ceasefire in Syria, part of a six-point plan put forward by UN-Arab League joint envoy Kofi Annan that went into effect on April 12.

Despite the presence of the monitors, violence has not abated effectively with daily reports of killings, kidnappings and bombings.

Ban said the number of observers will be increased by more than 130 by Thursday, a sharp rise from the current 60. "And by the middle of this month we’ll be able to deploy maybe 230 or more than that. Our target is to deploy 300 mandated supervision mission as soon as possible, within this month," he said.

"I hope that with the deployment of this supervision mission this will have, first of all, a very important role in monitoring and supervising the cease-fire, the cessation of violence, so that the Joint Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, can help begin this political dialogue," he added.

He called for a cessation of violence by all the parties in Syria and an ensuing political dialogue started "in an inclusive way" for a political resolution "reflecting the genuine aspirations of the Syrian people."

Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is pouring in as at least one million people in Syria have been displaced and affected by the unrest, which has raged across the country since mid-March 2011, the UN chief said.