UN chief tells Syria to stop violence

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UN chief tells Syria to stop violence

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked Syria's government to halt its violent crackdown.

31 July,2012 03:45 am

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday singled out Syrias government for censure, telling it to halt its violent crackdown on the dissidents and rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assads regime, and denounced an armed attack on a convoy carrying the military chief of the UN observer mission.Ban noted that his peacekeeping chief, Herve Ladsous, recently went to Syria where he called on the government to end its use of heavy weapons and demonstrate the commitment to ending the armed violence. Government officials have repeatedly said they would honor these commitments. We are still waiting for them to act.The government is adding to its brutal crackdown by attacking heavily populated areas with fighter aircraft and helicopters. The armed opposition groups have also stepped up their attacks, Ban told reporters on his return from an overseas trip.The UNs military observer force in Syria has been sidelined by the violence and lack of political will in the Security Council. Ban said that more than a dozen armored vehicles used by the military observers have been destroyed by blasts and shelling, and a convoy carrying the general heading the force was targeted on Sunday.Yesterday, the convoy of Lt. Gen. (Babacar) Gaye was attack by armed attacks. Fortunately there were no injuries, Ban said.UN spokesman Farhan Haq added later that the UN had learned that the five-vehicle convoy was hit by small arms fire Sunday in Talbisa,17 kilometres (10 1/2 miles) away from Homs. Two of the five vehicles were hit by bullets.The UN observer missions latest 30-day mandate is due to expire in August, and the United States, Britain and France do not want to see it extended under these circumstances.Its important, again, that the Syrian government must fully cooperate with the UN mission and must cease these violent measures. We are deeply concerned that they are using all kinds of heavy equipment, including military airplanes, attack helicopters and heavy weaponry This is an unacceptable situation. Every day, more than 100 people are being killed. This cannot go on this way. Therefore I have been urging ... Syrian authorities and opposition forces to stop fighting, and leave it to political resolution, through political dialogue.