person:kofi annan

  • Lettre ouverte du « Mouvement pour une résolution intégrale du conflit en #Pays_Basque » :

    Monsieur le président,
    Le Pays Basque est aujourd’hui à la veille de changements importants. La fin du conflit politique, l’un des derniers de cette ampleur en Europe, est possible et est en marche. Avec la déclaration d’Aiete du 17 octobre 2011, à laquelle ont participé nombre de personnalités (Kofi Annan, Jonathan Powell ou encore Pierre Joxe), suivie trois jours plus tard de l’annonce par l’ETA de l’arrêt définitif de son activité armée, une opportunité s’est ouverte en faveur d’une résolution du conflit. ...

    http://www.lejpb.com/paperezkoa/20120705/350433/fr/Lettre-ouverte-a-monsieur-le-president-et-a-l%E2%80%99ensemble-du-gouvernemen

  • Now Syria time line

    15:36 Activists said on Tuesday that Syrian forces shelled Latakia’s Al-Haffa and Al-Dafeel, Al-Jazeera reported.

    15:00 Britain on Tuesday said Syria must offer unrestricted access to aid agencies, saying the humanitarian situation in the country is expected to worsen with thousands more likely to flee the bloodshed.

    14:45 France on Tuesday joined the United States in raising concerns that new massacres were being prepared in Syria as regime forces pounded for the eighth straight day the town of Al-Heffa.

    14:42 Tuesday’s death toll in Syria has risen to 27 people, Al-Jazeera television quoted the Syrian Network For Human Rights as saying.

    13:54 Armed “terrorists” kidnapped on Tuesday a group of Syrians travelling in two taxis on the road to Qusayr in the central province of Homs, the state news agency SANA reported.

    13:41 Regime forces rained shells on rebel positions in northwestern Latakia province on Tuesday, pounding for the eighth straight day the town of Al-Heffa as they prepared to storm it, monitors said.

    12:41 UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan hoped a key meeting to address the crisis in Syria will take place soon, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

    12:30 Iran on Tuesday welcomed a Russian proposal on holding an international conference on Syria aimed at saving a faltering peace plan for that country’s conflict.

    12:27 Christians in the Syrian town of Qusayr have come under increasing threat from rebel factions controlling the town, according to a Tuesday report in the Vatican Fides news agency.

    12:19 One person was killed and dozens injured in the shelling of Rastan in Homs, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying on Tuesday.

    12:01 Syria’s main opposition coalition has called for “peaceful protests” across the world on Wednesday against Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

    11:36 Syrian security forces shelled the towns of Byanoun and Hayan in the Aleppo district, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying on Tuesday.

    11:34 Syrian forces pounded a neighborhood of the eastern city of Deir az-Zour with mortar fire on Tuesday, killing 10 civilians including a young girl, a monitoring group said.

    10:12 Syrian forces on Tuesday imposed a blockade on Latakia’s Al-Haffa, Al-Arabiya television quoted the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution as saying.

    10:11 Syrian forces on Tuesday prevented international observers from accessing the Latakia town of Al-Heffa, Al-Arabiya television quoted the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution as saying.

    10:08 Syrian forces on Tuesday killed 13 people; most of them in Deir az-Zour, Al-Jazeera television quoted the Local Coordination Committees as saying.

    8:16 Syrian troops have tortured children, executed them and used children as young as eight as “human shields” during military raids against rebels, according to a UN report released Tuesday.

    8:10 UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Monday demanded UN access to the surrounded Syrian city of Al-Heffa amid what he called a “dangerous intensification” of the conflict in the country.

    8:08 US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday there was “no silver bullet” to fix what he called a tragic, complex situation in Syria, but renewed calls for the regime to relinquish power.

    8:05 UN envoy Kofi Annan will have to decide if his peace plan was working in Syria when the UN mission’s 90-day mandate expires next month but it cannot remain open-ended, a top Arab official said Monday.

    8:00 MORNING LEADER: United Nations leader Ban Ki-moon on Monday demanded UN access to the Syrian city of Al-Heffa, as regime helicopters fired on rebel stronghold towns, leaving more than 100 people dead. Ban added that “intensive military operations” by government forces against Homs and firing from helicopters on other towns had caused heavy civilian casualties.

  • US fears for new massacre in Syria

    A spokesperson for former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, who drafted a fledgling UN-Arab League peace plan, earlier warned that civilians were trapped in the northwestern city and demanded the immediate entry of UN monitors.

    “The United States joins joint special envoy Kofi Annan in expressing deep alarm by reports from inside Syria that the regime may be organizing another massacre,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters.

    To read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=408087#ixzz1xWMBS2ut

  • Annan “

    gravely concerned

    ” about Syrian violence

    UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan was “gravely concerned” by a step up in fighting by Syrian government forces and the opposition, his spokesperson said on Monday.

    Annan “is gravely concerned by the latest reports of violence coming out of #Syria and the escalation of fighting by both government and opposition forces,” said Ahmad Fawzi in a statement.

    To read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=407966#ixzz1xUcyBNsb

  • InfoSyrie - Annan reconnait la violence des oppositions, et appelle l’Iran à l’aide

    http://www.infosyrie.fr/actualite/annan-reconnait-la-violence-des-oppositions-et-appelle-liran-a-laide

    Devant l’Assemblée générale des Nations-Unies, jeudi, Kofi Annan a eu des accents de gravité et de vérité. De gravité d’abord : l’émissaire des Nations Unies en Syrie, a reconnu – bien obligé – que son plan n’avait pas été appliqué en dépit de l’admission – formelle par le gouvernement, plus floue par le CNS – de ses six points. De même, il a estimé que la crise en Syrie s’aggravait, au vu du rythme des violations du cessez-le-feu. C’est en effet le moins qu’on puisse dire.

  • Syria: West rebuffs proposal to work with Iran to solve crisis

    With violence escalating in the wake of this week’s massacre of 78 Sunni villagers near the city of Hama, Kofi Annan, the international envoy to Syria met Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to try to salvage his disintegrating ceasefire plan.

    At least 20 people were killed on Friday as rebels stepped up a week-long offensive to avenge the killings in Qubair, the fourth incident of mass bloodletting directed at members of Syria’s Sunni majority in a fortnight.

    to read more
    http://goo.gl/PDRxO

  • Avaaz: Assad has Shredded Annan Plan, Plan B Needed

    Today Avaaz will deliver a 764,000-strong petition to the UN Security Council calling for 3,000 monitors to be immediately deployed to every region in Syria, while leaders engage in urgent political efforts to resolve the conflict. In the wake of another massacre in Hama where at least 27 children were killed, the global campaign organisation has assessed Annan’s 6-point plan and found that it has failed on every count, with nearly 2,000 people killed since Annan launched the plan three months ago.

    Ricken Patel, Executive Director of Avaaz said: “With Russia’s backing, Assad has shredded the Annan plan. Last night, another 60 massacred bodies were found, dozens were children. The world’s inaction allowed the killing in Rwanda — have we learned from our mistakes, or will we leave the Syrian people to their grisly fate? Without a stronger UN presence on the ground and sanctions now, we are heading for a full-blown sectarian war that may last for generations and breed the kind of terrorist attacks we have yet to imagine in our worst nightmares.”

    Yesterday, another massacre took place in Mazraat al Qubair – a Sunni village near Hama – where at least 60 bodies have been counted – of which 27 are children and 15 are women – with around 35 other victims believed to have been moved by death squads to neighbouring villages. Initial reports say many children were under age 10 and that the army shelled the village for 30 minutes before militias entered the village and shot and stabbed people. Over 35 of the bodies found were burnt. The massacre has been verified by two sources with whom Avaaz has spoken. The UN Monitors were blocked from visiting the village yesterday but arrived this morning – accompanied by the Syrian army, but many people in the village are too scared to talk to them.

    Em Shalaan, 45, who lost her husband, three children and six grandchildren in the Houla massacre last month, spoke to Avaaz this week: “The shabiha came in and pulled out the men in the family and shot them in the street. I then heard one of them outside saying ‘kill the women and children – kill them all’. I ran to the stables behind the house and hid in the hay. I could hear my children screaming ‘help me mum’. After 30 mins I went back and found the bodies. I discovered only my 13 year old daughter had survived, with a bullet wound in the chest. Why did I lose my family, what did they do to deserve this?”

    Avaaz is calling for 3,000 monitors to be permanently stationed in the 14 regions of the country, arguing these could drastically deter violence and save civilian lives, while opening the space for peaceful protest. Avaaz is urging the UN to set out an urgent Plan B to prevent attacks on civilians and establish a clear timeline and benchmarks for sanctions and counter-measures if Assad continues to block UN efforts for peace. Avaaz’s assessment of the Annan plan is as follows:

    1. Launch of inclusive peace process: Failed

    Assad has blamed Arab and Western countries for funding and arming terrorists in order to derail Annan’s plan. The opposition is unable to organize effectively in Syria due in part to the detention, torture and murder of countless opposition activists.

    2. Ceasefire: Failed

    Clashes between forces are rife, and crackdowns against peaceful protesters and regime shelling of residential areas continue unabated. While the Free Syrian Army partially held to the ceasefire, this week it announced its withdrawal from the plan in the face of unchecked regime violence.

    3. Delivery of humanitarian aid: Partial

    The government heavily controls ICRC and Red Crescent aid routes and has prevented aid from entering across borders, while aid can only be distributed in 5 locations and under regime control. Although Assad mentioned that other agencies could enter the country yesterday, it was unclear how this will work.

    4. Release of detained prisoners: Failed

    While 86 Aleppo University students were released in early May, more than 600 remain in detention. Mazen Darwish has been detained for 111 days, despite Kofi Annan asking the authorities to release him during his first visit.

    5. Free movement for media: Failed

    While the regime claims 400 visas have been issued for media, journalists’ movements remain severely restricted, making it virtually impossible to report freely; the people they speak to are often targeted for speaking to them.

    6. Freedom to protest: Failed

    Peaceful protesters are still regularly targeted by shooting and even shelling, in addition to round-ups of protesters, including children, who are routinely tortured in detention.

    Outside the UN in New York today, Avaaz members staged a protest laying out the figures of 49 tiny corpses shrouded in white sheets along the sidewalk, to represent the children killed in the Houla massacre last month. Over 1,000 children have been killed since the uprising started in Syria.

    Last week, Avaaz launched an urgent campaign which was backed by people from across the world for “3,000 international monitors being sent to Syria with a mandate to protect civilians, and leaders to move fast to define a political transition plan”. More than 764,000 people have now backed the campaign, with numbers continuing to rise.

    Source: Avaaz

  • “Up Front” Interview with Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad on Current Developments in Syria
    This interview was conducted with Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad by Brian Edwards-Tiekert of KPFA’s “Up Front.” The interview discusses the staying power of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, and why the regime’s days may be numbered; the ineffective cease-fire plan of Kofi Annan; what a post-regime Syria might look like; and the increase in violence between uprising forces and the regime.

    Click below to listen. The interview runs from 9:00 to 18:00 minutes

    http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/5930/up-front-interview-with-jadaliyya-co-editor-bassam

  • UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the Syria crisis will quickly “spiral out of control” unless substantial pressure is put on President Bashar al-Assad.

    Annan renewed calls for the major powers to warn Assad of “clear consequences” if he does not comply with a six-point international peace plan, one diplomat inside a closed-door council briefing told AFP.

    To read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=406762

  • Syrian Revolution Digest: An All Too Public Genocide! - Part 2
    Annan Buries Own Plan: Now What?

    Syria peace plan not working, U.N. envoy Kofi Annan says
    “We cannot allow mass killing to become part of everyday reality in Syria,” Annan said. “The crisis is escalating. The violence is getting worse. The abuses are continuing. The country is becoming more polarized and more radicalized. And Syria’s immediate neighbors are increasingly worried about the threat of spillover.” Annan said that unless the fighting is halted, “all Syrians will lose.”
    Ousting Syria’s Assad: Can UN get Russia on board?
    The United States, the United Kingdom, and France, which have favored Assad’s ouster, and Russia and China, which have not, would finally be on the same page on Syria at the head of a “contact group” of these world powers and regional countries. But Russia’s willingness to go along with Mr. Annan’s plan, analysts say, depends on whether or not it believes that its interests in Syria, its last toehold in the Middle East, can be preserved despite Assad’s departure.

    Ammar Abduhamid

    Kofi Annan blames peace failure on Syrian government
    Annan stressed that “individual actions or interventions will not resolve the crisis” — an apparent reference to opposition fighters and the countries providing them with arms and financial support. “If we genuinely unite behind one process, and act and speak with one voice, I believe it is still possible to avert the worst and enable Syria to emerge from this crisis,” he said.

  • China said Thursday it was firmly opposed to “outside armed intervention” in Syria or “any attempt to forcibly promote regime change” amid mounting violence in the country, Xinhua reported.

    China’s UN envoy Li Baodong told the UN General Assembly that China was committed to playing a “positive and constructive role in finding an early peaceful and proper solution to the Syrian question,” but made no mention of international envoy Kofi Annan’s six-point plan.

    to read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=406689

  • NOW SYRIA TIME LINE

    18:29 International envoy Kofi Annan expressed “horror” Thursday at the latest massacre in Syria and called for President Bashar al-Assad to face “consequences” for the worsening conflict.

    18:14 The opposition Syrian National Council meets in Istanbul to choose a new leader this weekend with insiders saying Kurdish activist Abdel Basset Sayda has emerged as a consensus candidate.

    17:35 UN monitors where shot at while entering the Syrian village of Kubeir, where a massacre occurred Wednesday, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.

    16:23 Qatar’s prime minister urged the international community Thursday to speed up its search for a solution bringing a “peaceful transfer of power” in Syria, as he met French President Francois Hollande.

    15:49 Syrian security forces killed 23 people on Thursday, Al-Jazeera quoted activists as saying.

    15:47 The charred bodies of women and children lay scattered in houses across farmland in central Syria on Thursday after a brutal massacre allegedly carried out by pro-regime militiamen, a witness told AFP.

    14:54 Syrian troops and local residents are preventing UN observers from reaching a site where 55 people were reported killed by pro-regime militants, the head of the UN mission in Syria said Thursday.

    14:37 The next meeting of the Friends of Syria group will take place on July 6 in Paris, the French foreign ministry said Thursday.

    14:20 Russia on Thursday said a new massacre in Syria in which at least 55 civilians were reported killed was a provocation aimed at undermining the faltering peace plan of UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

    14:14 The Syrian army is preventing UN observers from reaching a farmland region where at least 55 people were reportedly killed by militants loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, activists said Thursday.

    14:02 Al-Arabiya television is broadcasting live footage of the shelling targeting Homs’ Talbisa.

    13:43 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday condemned the latest onslaught of violence sponsored by the regime in Syria and said President Bashar al-Assad had to go.

    13:00 A YouTube video shows an eyewitness speaking with Al-Arabiya television about a “massacre” that was reportedly committed in the village of Al-Kubeir in Syria’s Hama. The eyewitness, identified as Laith, said that the town was raided at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday by security forces and shabiha militants, adding they “killed children and women and burned their bodies.”

    12:15 At least 55 people, mostly from the same family, have been killed in a new massacre in Syria, the head of a watchdog told AFP on Thursday.

    12:10 Syrian forces on Thursday killed 11 people, Al-Jazeera television quoted the Syrian Network for Human Rights as saying.

    11:32 Syrian army on Thursday shelled Homs’ Talbisa, leaving dozens of people wounded, Al-Jazeera television quoted the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution as saying.

    11:27 Syria’s main opposition group on Thursday called for stepped up military assaults against regime forces following reports of a new massacre of civilians in the central province of Hama.

    11:18 The international community has to do more to isolate the Syrian regime after the latest “brutal and sickening” massacre in the country, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday.

    10:20 Syrian forces on Thursday raided Hama’s neighborhood of Kazo and arrested dozens of people, Al-Jazeera television quoted activists as saying.

    10:08 Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday accused the Damascus regime of being behind a new massacre in the strife-torn country and said the world community, including Arab nations, also bear responsibility.

    8:30 MORNING LEADER: Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “massacred” about 100 people including women and children, the opposition said, as the US demanded a full transfer of power in the country.

    http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=253828
    http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/MainPagePictures/nowSyria-main-762012-a.jpg

  • International envoy Kofi Annan expressed “horror” Thursday at the latest massacre in Syria and called for President Bashar al-Assad to face “consequences” for the worsening conflict.

    Annan told the UN General Assembly that the Syrian crisis was worsening and warned that without a dramatic change, “the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence and even all-out civil war.”

    To read more: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=406594

  • Annan’s remarks before UN General Assembly
    at 11:10 AM
    REMARKS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA KOFI ANNAN

    New York, 7 July 2012

    AS DELIVERED

    Three months ago — after a year of deepening crisis, and based on your guidance — Secretary-General Ban and Secretary-General Elaraby gave me a tough job. They asked me to lead a united effort on behalf of the United Nations and the League of Arab States to stop the violence and killing in Syria, and launch a political process for a transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people.

    Today, despite the acceptance of the six-point plan and the deployment of a courageous mission of United Nations observers to Syria, I must be frank and confirm that the plan is not being implemented.

    Mr. President, let me pause here and express my horror and condemnation at the fact that a new massacre of tens of civilians including children and women was perpetrated yesterday in Al Qubayr, west of Hama. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. This took place just two weeks after the massacre in Houleh that shocked the world. Those responsible for perpetrating these crimes must be held to account. We cannot allow mass killing to become part of everyday reality in Syria.

    As the Secretary-General has clearly explained, the crisis is escalating. The violence is getting worse. The abuses are continuing. The country is becoming more polarized and more radicalized. And Syria’s immediate neighbours are increasingly worried about the threat of spillover.

    Nine days ago, I met President Assad in Damascus. I told him that the six-point plan is not being implemented as it must. I strongly urged him to take bold and visible steps to now radically change his military posture and honour his commitments to the six-point plan. I urged him to make a strategic decision to change his path. I also made clear that his Government must work with my mediation effort on behalf of both Organizations that I represent.

    President Assad believed the main obstacle was the actions of militants. Clearly, all parties must cease violence. But equally clearly, the first responsibility lies with the Government.

    Since then, shelling of cities has intensified. Government-backed militia seem to have free rein with appalling consequences. Yes, some detainees have been released, and agreement has been reached on modalities for humanitarian assistance. But the hour demands much more. And President Assad has not indicated a change of course in his recent address to the National Assembly.

    Despite the fear and the violence, ordinary people continue to make their voice heard in protests in the street. Armed opposition groups have stated that they see no reason to respect cessation of hostilities. They have intensified their attacks, which will not serve the cause of the Syrian people. And the situation is made more complex and deadly by a series of bombings — some of which are indicative of the presence of a third actor.

    If things do not change, the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence, and even all-out civil war. All Syrians will lose.

    When I joined the Arab League Ministers meeting in Doha on 2 June, many expressed their frustration and anger at the situation. They also offered concrete ideas on how to increase pressure for compliance. Clearly, the time has come to determine what more can be done to secure implementation of the plan - and/or what other options exist to address the crisis.

    It is your shared interest - and our collective responsibility - to act quickly. The process cannot be open-ended. The longer we wait, the more radicalized and polarized the situation will become, and the harder it will be to forge a political settlement.

    The international community has united, but it now must take that unity to a new level. We must find the will and the common ground to act – and act as one. Individual actions or interventions will not resolve the crisis. As we demand compliance with international law and the six-point plan, it must be made clear that there will be consequences if compliance is not forthcoming. We must also chart a clearer course for a peaceful transition, if we are to help the Government and opposition, as well as Syrian society , to help resolve the crisis.

    If we genuinely unite behind one process, and act and speak with one voice, I believe it is still possible to avert the worst and enable Syria to emerge from this crisis. I will spare no effort, and I know Secretaries-General Ban and Elaraby too. But for the sake of the people of Syria, who are living through this nightmare, the international community must come together and act as one.

    Thank you, Mr. President.