UN meets with terrorist leader seeking ‘credible transition’ in Syria

Geir Pederson met with Abu Mohammad al-Julani, a UN-designated terrorist with a $10 million reward for his capture, in Damascus to discuss the future of Syria

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Mohammad al-Bashir, head of Syria’s interim government, in Damascus on Monday. fair (16).

In a statement, the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria announced: “The Special Envoy, Mr. Geir Pedersen, is in Damascus. He has so far met with Mr. Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of the new administration, and Mr. Mohammad al-Bashir, head of the interim government.”

Sharaa, formerly known as Syrian al-Qaeda leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, a UN-designated terrorist, took control of Syria on December 8 following a two-week lightning offensive launched by his militants from the HTS stronghold of Idlib at the end of November.

The UN Envoy emphasized “the need for an inclusive and credible political transition, led and owned by Syrians, based on the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015).

Pederson was briefed on the challenges and priorities facing the country and reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to providing all possible assistance to the Syrian people.

The special envoy highlighted the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria, which continues to suffer from the brutal economic sanctions imposed on the country by the US during its secret war to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad, which began in 2011.

“We call for the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, who have endured immense suffering over the past decade due to the previous regime and protracted internal conflicts,” the statement said.

“And then, of course, there’s the whole question about economic recovery,” Pederson noted at a press conference after the meeting.

“We need to see this fixed quickly. We hope to see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can really see mobilization around the reconstruction of Syria again,” he added.

Pederson also addressed the need to see “justice and accountability for crimes. And we need to make sure that this goes through a credible justice system, and that we don’t see any revenge.”

The UN envoy added that he had been approached by a wide range of Syrians, both within the country and the international community, including Syrians living abroad, and emphasized the presence of a “community united behind the willingness to help and support Syria ”.

With information from The Cradle*