The article dated 25th January 2016 on The Cairo Review of Global Affairs by Nabeel Khoury talks about the Syrian peace negotiation efforts fronted by the United Nations. Khoury gives reasons why the peace talks are destined to fail based on the current situations in Syria. Among the reasons is the continued offensive by the Assad’s regime with support from Russia airstrikes and Iranian forces. Lack of unity and coordination of strategies within rebel forces also complicate the negotiations. Besides, the US and Russia are almost always at loggerheads.
Observing the current situation in Syria, it is right to acknowledge that lack of a ceasefire from the Syrian regime and rebels the peace talks are doomed to fail. The government forces have continued to recover grounds, for example, Palmyra, from the opposition buoyed by direct military intervention by Iranian and Russian troops in addition to Hezbollah militias (Nashashibi). Two days before a scheduled peace talks on April 13, the regime bombed the Aleppo area ("VIDEO: Children Among Victims Of Barrel Bombs As Aleppo Clashes Intensify"). These overwrite the initial goal of peace talks. The rebels, in turn, have continued to fight back and protect their ground. With such a situation where no one is ready to uphold a ceasefire treaty, it is unlikely that a peace deal will be reached anytime soon. Whereas Russian government considers rebels as terrorists and advocate for no change in regime, the US and its allies are in support of a political transition that will see Assad out of power. As a result, the hard-line stance by the US, opposition, and Russia in the meanwhile continue to elongate peace negotiations as the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate on the ground.
In conclusion, the peace deal can be arrived at if there’s accommodation by both sides. The Syrian regime and opposition must both adhere to ceasefire pacts and pave the way for humanitarian help while addressing contentious issues at negotiating table. The infighting between oppositions about representation during negotiations should also be addressed and ensure all groups are included. This will play a critical role in the stability of the future government.
Work Cited
Khoury, Nabeel. "Why Syria Peace Talks Are Doomed". The Cairo Review of Global Affairs. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 May 2016.
"VIDEO: Children Among Victims Of Barrel Bombs As Aleppo Clashes Intensify". Middle East Eye. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 May 2016.
Nashashibi, Sharif. "Syrian Civil War: Negotiating In Bad Faith". Aljazeera.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 19 May 2016.
