The road to a solution in the Syrian crisis is still a rocky one. Damascus has annouced having begun to implement UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan’s peace plan but ,on the day specified for withdrawal of troops and heavy artillery, the Syrian Human Rights Watch reported that government forces had bombarded in the province of Aleppo.
Tensions are mounting with Turkey also, where several refugees were wounded yesterday by shots fired from Syria. Turkish Premier Tayyp Erdogan called it a “clear violation” of the border between the two countries, while Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Mouallem accused Ankara of training and arming rebels and sending militias into Syria.
Kofi Annan visited several refugee camps in Turkey and through his spokesperson announced that he would be sending a letter to the UN Security Council today on implementation of the peace plan, which calls for a total stop to the violence within the next 48 hours.
Italy is closely monitoring the situation, and Premier Monti discussed it in Cairo with Arab League Secretary General Nabil al Arabi. “Italy’s concern and that of all the countries of the world is particularly intense in these hours”, Monti asserted, recalling Italy’s “full support” for UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan’s efforts. Al Arabi insisted on the need for a UN Security Council resolution “that puts an end to the violence and for a ceasefire on both sides”.
The Syrian crisis will be the focus of the the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting in Washington on 11 and 12 April.
