UN Approves Syrian Monitoring Mission
The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that will see a 300-strong deployment of unarmed military observers to Syria in efforts to monitor the nation’s fragile ceasefire.
The three-month deployment aims to bring an end to the 13-month conflict in the country, where the United Nations says over 9,000 people have died since a civilian uprising against president Bashar al-Assad’s regime began.
Under UN resolution 2043, the military observers will be sent for an initial period of 90 days if UN leader Ban Ki-moon decides it is safe for them to go.
However, the United States warned it may not allow a renewal of the mission after the initial period, with US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice saying the nation’s patience was “exhausted”.
Several western envoys stressed the dangers of sending unarmed monitors to Syria, where there has been a shaky ceasefire in place since April 12.
“It is an unprecedented step to deploy unarmed UN personnel into such a dangerous environment. It is fraught with risk,” said Britain’s UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant.