TIME Syria

Chief Negotiator of Syrian Opposition Quits Over Failed Talks

SWITZERLAND-UN-SYRIA-CONFLICT-TALKS
Fabrice Coffrini—AFP/Getty Images Chief negotiator for the main Syrian opposition body, Mohammed Alloush (2nd L) speaks with delegation head Asaad al-Zoabi in Geneva on April 19, 2016

"The three rounds of talks were unsuccessful"

The chief negotiator representing Syria’s mainstream opposition has resigned over what he called the failure of the U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva to secure a political or humanitarian resolution to the ongoing civil war.

Mohammed Alloush announced his resignation Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse, saying in a statement on Twitter: “The three rounds of talks were unsuccessful because of the stubbornness of the regime and its continued bombardments and aggressions towards the Syrian people.”

Alloush is a member of the Jaish al-Islam faction in the Saudi-based High Negotiations Committee. The opposition body suspended its participation in the last round of peace talks in April without any major breakthroughs, citing escalating violence in Syria. No date has been set for the next round of negotiations.

[video id=kSJNsxbf]

The bloody five-year civil war in Syria has killed 470,000 people and displaced millions more. A fragile ceasefire was brokered in February between the President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and rebel groups, but it has been marred by repeated violence.

[AFP]

Tap to read full story

Your browser is out of date. Please update your browser at http://update.microsoft.com


YOU BROKE TIME.COM!

Dear TIME Reader,

As a regular visitor to TIME.com, we are sure you enjoy all the great journalism created by our editors and reporters. Great journalism has great value, and it costs money to make it. One of the main ways we cover our costs is through advertising.

The use of software that blocks ads limits our ability to provide you with the journalism you enjoy. Consider turning your Ad Blocker off so that we can continue to provide the world class journalism you have become accustomed to.

The TIME Team