US soldiers in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) patrol the countryside of al-Malikiya town (Derik in Kurdish) in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province July 17, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
UNITED NATIONS — Syria remains deeply divided despite months of "potentially significant diplomacy" to resolve the crisis in the country, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Monday.
The diplomacy has not yielded any outcomes or political progress for the war-weary population both inside and outside the country, Pedersen told the UN Security Council.
Pedersen said that Syria remains territorially divided with its society deeply divided on various issues and the presence of five foreign armies within the country
He warned of missing another possible opportunity to "help the Syrian conflict to come to a negotiated end" at a time when its impact is deepening, and called for consensus on humanitarian basics among international parties in resolving the crisis.
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Pedersen said that Syria remains territorially divided with its society deeply divided on various issues and the presence of five foreign armies within the country.
"This month saw airstrikes attributed to Israel, reports of Turkish drone strikes, reports of pro-government airstrikes north of Aleppo, and the US saying it carried out drone strikes on an ISIL leader near al-Bab," he said.
Civilians continue to suffer injuries and fatalities due to violent clashes and regular exchanges of mortar, rocket, and artillery fire in northeast and northwest Syria, noted Pedersen.
He called on the Syrian government to actively cooperate with the UN to find a political resolution to the conflict, while stressing the importance of "constructive and coordinated international diplomacy."
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"The more you can work together despite your differences, the more you can encourage and support the Syrians to do the same," he urged the 15-member council.