ceasefire Archives

#Russia announces #Syria ceasefire to establish ‘humanitarian corridor’ in Eastern #Ghouta

February 26, 2018 by administrator

Russia announces Syria ceasefire

The Russian president has ordered a new ceasefire to allow civilians to exit one of Syria’s last rebel strongholds. The UN has urged warring parties to end hostilities to allow much-needed aid into devastated areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a daily “humanitarian pause” to air strikes in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to Russian news agencies.

The ceasefire comes amid calls from the international community to implement a nationwide cessation of hostilities as the humanitarian situations worsens on the ground.

What the ceasefire entails:

The ceasefire is aimed at establishing a “humanitarian corridor” to allow civilians to exit from Eastern Ghouta, considered one of Syria’s last rebel strongholds.
It will begin on Tuesday and last from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time (07:00 to 12:00 UTC), according to the order.
It is similar to the ceasefire that was implemented during the siege of eastern Aleppo to avoid civilian casualties.

Massive casualties: Over the past week, more than 500 civilians have been killed by the Syrian government’s latest offensive in Eastern Ghouta. Russian warplanes formed an integral part of the offensive, according to independent monitors, rights groups and US authorities.

Why now: More than 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict emerged in 2011 following a government crackdown on protesters calling for the release of political prisoners and President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Since then, the conflict has evolved into a multifaceted war, drawing in global superpowers, neighboring countries and non-state actors. But as the conflict winds down, Damascus is attempting to consolidate territory across the country with the help of Russia to secure its interests during peace talks.

Given that Eastern Ghouta is one of the last remaining rebel strongholds, the Syrian regime is seeking to strike a fatal blow to the opposition movement before peace talks gain ground.

Syria: Turkey’s Erdogan Surrender, Russia’s Putin declares victory accept Ceasefire

December 29, 2016 by administrator

The Syrian government and Turkish Terrorist groups have agreed a nationwide ceasefire from midnight local time (22:00 GMT) on Thursday, followed by peace talks.

The deal was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Turkish foreign ministry.

Osama Abu Zaid, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA) Turkish supported terrorist, a loose alliance of several moderate rebel factions under the HNC, said the deal also did not include the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG).

The YPG, along with other Kurdish militias, controls a large area of northern Syria up the Turkish border. It is regarded by Turkey as a terrorist organisation and an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Syrian ceasefire largely holds, aid preparations begin

September 13, 2016 by administrator

The truce in Syria continued to hold up on its second day despite reports of minor violations. The Russian government counted 23 breaches of the ceasefire in its first 24 hours, it was reported.

The truce in Syria, brokered between the United States and Russia, could serve as a precursor for peace talks if it continues to hold up. While having the primary purpose of allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid, the ceasefire also stops Assad’s forces from bombing Syrian opposition groups, raising hopes for the revival of peace talks to address the conflict.

The Syrian army said it would abide by the stipulations of the ceasefire for a week, while stressing that it would still defend itself against any acts of aggression and continue attacking Islamist groups, such as the self-styled “Islamic State” (IS). Groups linked to al Qaeda such as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which was previously known as the al-Nusra Front, have meanwhile denounced the agreement.

This is why Syria’s largest insurgent groups have expressed doubts about the feasibility of the deal, which still allows for airstrikes against al Qaeda linked militant groups. Several jihadi movements fight alongside more moderate rebels.

A shaky truce

The ceasefire had been hammered out by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in early September, coming into full effect at sunset on Monday, September 12, marking the beginning of the Muslim high holiday of Eid al-Adha. If it holds for seven days, the US and Russian militaries would set up a new center to coordinate strikes against IS and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.

The deal marks the second attempt in 2015 to reduce violence in the country following the collapse of a truce at the beginning of the year. The conflict has killed more than 290,000 people since its beginning in 2011 while displacing half of the country’s population.

Violations in Aleppo and beyond

Opposition activists in the city of Aleppo, which has seen heavy fighting in recent months, said that rebel-held parts of the city remained calm. However, aid deliveries, which are also part of the ceasefire, have yet to enter the contested city.

Nagorno-Karabakh reports more fatalities as ceasefire violations continue

April 30, 2016 by administrator

Two servicemen of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army were killed in the continuing ceasefire violations along the Line of Contact on the night of Saturday.
In an official statement released earlier today, Nagorno-Karabakh’s Ministry of Defense says that the Azerbaijani armed troops shot their defense positions from firearms, mine- and grenade-launchers throughout the night.
The servicemen fatally wounded in the attacks were identified as Garik M Movsisyan, 19, and Vazgen H Harutyunyan, 48.
The Ministry shares the grief of the loss, extending its solidarity to the family and fellow servicemen of the deceased.

Senior Armenian military official says Azerbaijan asked for ceasefire in Karabakh

April 11, 2016 by administrator

According to a senior Armenian military official, it was Azerbaijan that had sought a ceasefire several days after renewing hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh early this month.

The ceasefire agreed between the chiefs of the general staffs of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow on April 5 put an end to the worst escalation of violence in the conflict zone since the 1994 truce.

Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, deputy chief of the General Staff of Armenia’s Armed Forces Lieutenant-General Movses Hakobyan said: “This time we should also state that it is the Armenian soldier who again forced the enemy to cease fire.”

Hakobyan, who in the past also served as Nagorno-Karabakh’s defense chief, said that he believed Azerbaijan would “draw conclusions” from its actions. “If it tries to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict this way again, the response will be much tougher,” he said.

According to the senior military official, the Armenian intelligence had the relevant data on the Azerbaijani aggressive plans: “But the border of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is quite long and it was, of course, difficult to predict at what time and where the attacks would be launched.”

According to Nagorno-Karabakh’s Defense Ministry, 62 Armenian soldiers were killed in action and more than 120 were wounded in clashes with Azerbaijani forces. The fate of one Armenian soldier reportedly remained unclear as of Monday afternoon.

Kurdish rebels declare ceasefire ahead of Turkey’s election

October 10, 2015 by administrator

Kurdish rebels have declared a temporary ceasefire ahead of Turkey’s November 1 election, the Associated Press reports.

A Kurdish rebel statement said Saturday, October 10, the group is halting hostilities to allow the elections to proceed safely. It said it would not launch attacks but would defend itself against attacks.

The announcement came hours after two bomb explosions in the capital killed at least 86 people and injured 186 others.

The group said it aimed to ensure that elections take place in “equal and fair” conditions.

Kurdish #PKK rules out any unilateral ceasefire in Turkey

September 17, 2015 by administrator

A commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) ruled out a unilateral ceasefire on Thursday and accused the Turkish government of pursuing war to gain more votes.

Hundreds have been killed in almost daily bloody clashes between the PKK and security forces in the largely Kurdish southeast since a long-standing ceasefire and peace overtures fell apart in July.

With an election looming in six weeks, Ankara says the militants must put down their weapons and return to their camps in northern Iraq before it will halt operations and restart peace talks.

“A ceasefire can only be mutual,” PKK field commander Murat Karayılan told the Fırat news agency, which is close to the group, in an interview. “Our experience teaches us that positive outcomes cannot be achieved through unilateral ceasefires.”

On Wednesday, a Kurdish militant umbrella group said it was ready for talks supervised by a third party. Karayılan is based in the remote mountains of northern Iraq, from where he directs the PKK insurgency against Turkey.

The PKK launched a separatist armed struggle in 1984 before moderating its goal to improving the rights of Turkey’s roughly 12 million Kurds.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has boosted Kurdish cultural rights during more than a decade in power, began peace talks with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 2012, risking nationalist wrath.

In a June general election, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) passed the 10 percent election threshold for the first time and gained 80 seats in Turkey’s 550-seat parliament, depriving the ruling AK Party of its overall majority for the first time since it came to power in 2002.

“Even if we stop, AK Party will not,” Karayılan said. “They will continue war as long as the war conditions are in their benefit. The conditions for a mutual ceasefire don’t seem possible before Nov. 1.”

The Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK), the Kurdish militants’ umbrella political group, had said on Wednesday it appreciated calls made by democratic groups in Turkey, the European Union and European Parliament for a mutual ceasefire and a return to negotiations.

“We emphasize once again that we are ready for a mutual and arbitrated ceasefire through negotiations, and support the efforts and struggle of peoples and pro-peace circles for a democratic political resolution and lasting peace,” it said.

The group blamed Erdoğan and the AK Party he founded for the collapse of the peace process.

“This is the war of the palace,” KCK said, referring to Erdoğan. “This war makes the (Kurdish and Turkish) people confront each other and causes a de facto division of the land.”

Source: Reuters