Truce goes into force in war-ravaged Syria
If ceasefire holds, peace talks between the government and rebel forces will be held next month in Kazakhstan
BEIRUT— A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey went into effect in war-ravaged Syria at midnight Thursday, a potential breakthrough in the six years of fighting that have left more than 250,000 people dead and triggered a refugee crisis across Europe.
If it holds, the truce between the Syrian government and the country’s mainstream rebel forces will be followed by peace talks next month in Kazakhstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in announcing the agreement.
Putin, however, described the ceasefire as “quite fragile” and requiring “special attention and patience.”
Comprehensive calm
The first half-hour of the ceasefire was one of “comprehensive calm,” said Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said that before the truce came into force, the government was bombing several areas, including the province of Aleppo and suburbs of the capi- tal, Damascus.
The truce had the backing of both Russia, Syria’s chief battlefield ally, and Turkey, which has been supporting the rebels.
Russia said the deal was signed by seven of Syria’s major rebel factions.
Several previous ceasefires in the Syrian civil war all collapsed, some of them in a matter of days. And this latest agreement, like previous ones, does not include extremist factions such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida’s branch in Syria.
Hopes raised
Still, the deal raised hopes for a political settlement to the ruinous war, in part because the landscape has significantly shifted recently.
For one thing, the tide has turned in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s favor militarily over the past year, with the government retaking the city of Aleppo from the rebels just days ago.
Also, Turkey, which is fighting Kurdish and Islamic militants at home, appears more willing to strike a bargain with Russia if it means protecting its borders.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem welcomed the ceasefire agreement said there was a “real chance” for a political settlement.
Guaranteed
Putin said the ceasefire would be guaranteed by both Moscow and Turkey. Turkey has been allowing opposition forces to use its long border with Syria to cross back and forth. The agreement was also praised by Iran, another of Assad’s strongest backers.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the truce would include 62,000 opposition fighters across Syria and that the Russian military had established a hotline with its Turkish counterpart to monitor compliance.
Foreign fighters from around the world have joined both sides of the Syrian conflict, which has displaced half the country’s population and produced more than 4 million refugees.
Assad’s future
Hilal Khashan, a political analyst, said Assad’s exit was “out of the question.” “Neither the Russians nor the Iranians would allow it to happen,” he said.
Saeed Sadek, a professor of political sociology at Cairo’s Future University, said Assad had no power to accept or reject any deals.
“He is now under the control of Moscow, Tehran and Ankara. All these countries will decide his future,” he said.