Beirut: Syria’s main opposition umbrella group and several rebel factions called for “guarantees” on the implementation of a landmark truce deal before endorsing it, hours before it was to begin on Monday.
The Russian-US brokered ceasefire is due to start at sundown, but it has yet to win support from Syria’s political or military opposition.
“We want to know what the guarantees are,” said Salem al-Muslet, spokesman for the High Negotiations Committee, which groups political and military opposition factions.
“What is the definition that has been chosen for ‘terrorism’, and what will the response be in case of violations? We are asking for guarantees especially from the United States, which is a party to the agreement,” Muslet said.
Rebel groups on Sunday sent a letter to the US outlining a list of “concerns” over the deal, which calls for a 48-hour ceasefire “anywhere where the opposition is present”, which is then renewable. In the letter, rebels wrote they would “deal positively with the idea of the ceasefire,” but did not explicitly back it. “The clauses...that have been shared with us do not include any clear guarantees or monitoring mechanisms.”
