Syria ceasefire: Temporary truce destined to fail says peace activist

Syria ceasefire: Temporary truce destined to fail says peace activist

By Harriet Sinclair reporting from Islamic extremism conference in Paris

February 27, 2016 17:37 GMT  

A woman carries an injured boy inside a hospital after multiple bomb blasts hit a southern district of Damascus controlled by government forces Reuters

The ceasefire in Syria brokered by the US and Russia will last no more than a few days according to the opposition coalition, which warned if the ceasefire failed another will not be established. Citing an airstrike that happened less than an hour after the ceasefire came into effect on 27 February, vice president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Nagham Ghadri, said there was no belief that Russia and the Syrian regime would uphold the deal.

"We told the US we don't think Russia and the regime will make it happen," she said in an interview with IBTimes UK. "It will happen for a day or maybe two, but at 12.30, just half an hour after the ceasefire was agreed, they came back. The ceasefire won't last more than a few days."

The Syrian war has caused millions of people to flee their homes, seeking refuge in camps in Syria and neighbouring countries. Many have made the perilous journey to Europe in search of safety.

While both Iran and Russia are backing the Syrian regime and president Bashar Al Assad, Western countries, Arab states and Turkey have sided with the rebels aiming to overthrow him, although both sides are united in their fight against Isis.

And a ceasefire, while beneficial, particularly to those civilians suffering bombardment from airstrikes, will not mean an end to the desire of opposition forces to rid Syria of the regime.

"What the world needs to understand is that you have groups that said yes to a ceasefire, these are groups that are seeking peace, but we won't give up our revolution, we won't give up our goal to knock down this regime," Ghadri said. "If this ceasefire doesn't succeed, it won't happen again. So it is important that pressure is put on the regime and Russia to comply with it."

The ceasefire is intended to last for six months, with Syrian opposition agreeing to a two-week trial period, during which peace talks will be conducted.It is also an opportunity for humanitarian aid to reach people who have been cut off by local government and Russian attacks, many of whom are believed to be suffering from chronic food shortages.