Syria says only existing monitors are allowed into Aleppo

Syria says only existing monitors are allowed into Aleppo

By Rudaw [ltr]yesterday at 09:05 [/ltr]

Bashar Jaafari, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations. Photo:Rudaw

NEW YORK, US-- The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations says only existing UN observers who are currently based in the country will have the permission to enter the embattled city of Aleppo to monitor the ongoing evacuation of local civilians and the rebels after a conjectural deal was reached late last week. 

Bashar Jaafari told Rudaw his government will offer safe passage only to the existing UN monitors in Syria into the besieged city but "no other group except for them" will have access to Aleppo.

"We are talking about those observers who are already in that region... the deal is clear on that point. The monitors form the international and Syrian Red Cross and the UN observers are already there. No one else, except for those who are there, will come from abroad," Jaafari said in response to a Rudaw question at a UN press conference Monday.

"We are not talking about a new constituency coming from the outside replacing these people who are already there," he added.

Jaafari's latest statement runs counter to UN's earlier announcement about foreign observers' lack of access to southeastern parts of Aleppo where the rebels have been based. 

Several UN diplomats told Rudaw Monday that no international monitoring group has been permitted to visit the southeastern pockets of the city despite persistent appeals. 

The UN says the implementation of the deal between Western powers and Russia on the Aleppo evacuation will depend on the deployment of some 118 independent UN observers to the ravaged city, which requires Syrian governments' cooperation.  

While civilians are currently being moved to safety, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution over the weekend requesting "UN and other relevant institutions to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring" of the mass evacuations from Aleppo. 

The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, later described the resolution as an "important step", but added that "until it's implemented it's a piece of paper".

Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign ministery said 4,500 civilians had left eastern Aleppo since midnight on Monday, bringing the number of evacuees to 12,000.

"Over the past 6 years we have responsibly guaranteed the safety of UN staff with no casualties at a very high price for our own soldiers and employees who have given their lives or been wounded," the Syrian ambassador said. 

Rudaw correspondent Nizamadin Gli says despite Russia's confidence about the deployment of UN observers, diplomats say without Damascus formal assurances, it will be difficult to send the staff to the city.