UN suspends Syria peace mission
Protesters hold a placard during demonstration against the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in central London yesterday.Photo: AFP
UN observers suspended their mission to Syria yesterday, blaming intensifying violence as troops rained shells down on rebel bastions including Homs, where the opposition warned a massacre was imminent.
Explaining the decision, mission head Major General Robert Mood spoke of an escalation in fighting and of the risk to his 300-strong team, as well as the "lack of willingness" for peace by the warring parties.
"There has been an intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past 10 days," General Mood said in a statement.
"This escalation is limiting our ability to observe, verify, report as well as assist in local dialogue and stability projects -- basically impeding our ability to carry out our mandate. It is also posing significant risks to our observers.
"In this high risk situation, UNSMIS (United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria) is suspending its activities," Mood said.
The observers "will not conduct patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice," he said, adding that "engagement with the parties will be restricted."
Mood said the suspension would be reviewed daily, and that "operations will resume when we see the situation fit for us to carry out our mandated activities."
In a statement, the SNC warned of a looming massacre in the flashpoint central city of Homs, which it said is besieged by 30,000 troops and pro-regime militiamen.
"Regime forces are escalating their shelling of the city of Homs in an unprecedented way," said the SNC, adding troops were "getting ready to carry out a savage attack that might massacre the city's remaining residents."
Violence in Syria has killed more than 14,400 people since an uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad erupted in mid-March 2011, according to the Observatory.
The Observatory reported another 31 people killed yesterday, taking the countrywide death toll to 169 in the past three days.
Meanwhile, to break the diplomatic stand-off, the US State Department said US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would discuss differences over Syria at a G20 summit next week.
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