High Negotiations Committee

BEIRUT, May 25  – Two Syrian rebel groups which have been fighting each other near Damascus have negotiated a ceasefire in Qatar, statements published by the two groups said. More than 500 people have been killed since April when fighting erupted between rival Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman groups. Their rift has been exploited by

By John Irish PARIS, May 24 – The main Western-backed Syrian opposition has gained little by demanding the fall of President Bashar Al Assad other than fuelling killings and the refugee crisis, a senior official from Syrian’s northern Kurdish region said on Monday. Syrian Kurds and their allies are finalising plans for an autonomous political federation in the northern part of

By Stephanie Nebehay and Shadia Nasralla GENEVA, April 28 – The United Nations mediator on Thursday called on the leaders of the United States and the Russian Federation to salvage the “barely alive” two-month-old ceasefire in Syria and revitalise the damaged peace process. U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura voiced deep concern at the truce

By John Irish, Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Perry GENEVA/BEIRUT, April 21 – Syria’s fragile peace talks might not resume for at least a year if they are abandoned now, a senior Western diplomat warned on Wednesday, as the opposition urged more military support for rebels after declaring a truce was over. Intense fighting has left Syria’s

GENEVA, April 20 – The United Nations expressed deep worry on Wednesday over the fate of more than 40,000 Syrians who have fled fighting near the northern city of Aleppo that has escalated in recent days as government forces press an offensive despite a truce. Fighting around Aleppo has become the biggest threat to the

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi GENEVA, March 21 – The Syrian opposition said on Sunday it rejected any attempt by the government to delay the next round of peace talks until after a parliamentary election on April 13 and urged Russia to press its ally into serious talks on a political transition. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad

BEIRUT, March 19 – Syrian rebel factions on Friday condemned a declaration of federalism in Kurdish-controlled regions of northern Syria and vowed to resist it by force, a day after those areas voted to seek autonomy. A statement from a number of Syrian insurgent groups, some of whom are represented in the main opposition body that

By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Mar 1 – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that while efforts were being made to track down alleged violations of the cessation of hostilities in Syria, there was currently no evidence to suggest it would destabilize the fragile peace. “We are digging in through the process we