It is citizens who bear the brunt of political rivalry that leads to wars and human catastrophe in the Middle East. The ongoing wars in Syria and Yemen and the chaos in Libya are creating some of the worst humanitarian tragedies in history.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently admitted the Security Council’s failure on Syria because of differences among major powers which have prevented action to end the conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and caused the biggest refugee exodus in history. It is not a secret that Russia is a staunch supporter of Syria’s Bashar Al Assad government and has been supplying weapons to the regime. But recent reports of Russia’s military build-up in Syria’s Latakia have caused serious doubts about the Putin government’s intentions and it’s clear that he has come to the rescue of a ruthless dictator who is losing the war.
On the diplomatic front, Russia has so far blocked four UN Security Council resolutions on Syria that includes a draft resolution calling for the crisis to be referred to the International Criminal Court – ignoring support for the proposal from 65 other countries and all other members of the Security Council barring China. The Russian military support for Assad would counter any political solution in the civil war.
Yesterday’s decision by Yemen’s exiled government led by Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to pull out from the UN-brokered peace talks in Muscat is another setback to reconciliation efforts to end the conflict that has been tearing this impoverished nation apart since the takeover of capital Sana’a and other cities by the Houthi militia. The scheduled talks in Muscat was a welcome step since Oman is the only Gulf Arab state that has not joined the coalition and is considered a neutral mediator by both sides. The government wants the rebels to first accept a UN resolution demanding their withdrawal from territory they have captured before joining the talks. Seven months after the coalition started bombing Yemen, the rebels are still in Sana’a.
A ray of hope is seen in Libya where rival groups have edged closer to forming a unity government as part of a peace deal. Torn apart since Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011, Libya has two rival administrations — the Islamist-led General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the east. The chaos and humanitarian crisis caused by the wars are helping terror groups. Libya’s emergence as a smuggling hub for migrants has added to the urgency of the long-running talks. It is high time peace is given a chance in the region.
It is citizens who bear the brunt of political rivalry that leads to wars and human catastrophe in the Middle East. The ongoing wars in Syria and Yemen and the chaos in Libya are creating some of the worst humanitarian tragedies in history.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently admitted the Security Council’s failure on Syria because of differences among major powers which have prevented action to end the conflict that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and caused the biggest refugee exodus in history. It is not a secret that Russia is a staunch supporter of Syria’s Bashar Al Assad government and has been supplying weapons to the regime. But recent reports of Russia’s military build-up in Syria’s Latakia have caused serious doubts about the Putin government’s intentions and it’s clear that he has come to the rescue of a ruthless dictator who is losing the war.
On the diplomatic front, Russia has so far blocked four UN Security Council resolutions on Syria that includes a draft resolution calling for the crisis to be referred to the International Criminal Court – ignoring support for the proposal from 65 other countries and all other members of the Security Council barring China. The Russian military support for Assad would counter any political solution in the civil war.
Yesterday’s decision by Yemen’s exiled government led by Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to pull out from the UN-brokered peace talks in Muscat is another setback to reconciliation efforts to end the conflict that has been tearing this impoverished nation apart since the takeover of capital Sana’a and other cities by the Houthi militia. The scheduled talks in Muscat was a welcome step since Oman is the only Gulf Arab state that has not joined the coalition and is considered a neutral mediator by both sides. The government wants the rebels to first accept a UN resolution demanding their withdrawal from territory they have captured before joining the talks. Seven months after the coalition started bombing Yemen, the rebels are still in Sana’a.
A ray of hope is seen in Libya where rival groups have edged closer to forming a unity government as part of a peace deal. Torn apart since Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster in 2011, Libya has two rival administrations — the Islamist-led General National Congress (GNC) in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the east. The chaos and humanitarian crisis caused by the wars are helping terror groups. Libya’s emergence as a smuggling hub for migrants has added to the urgency of the long-running talks. It is high time peace is given a chance in the region.
