After the expulsion of Assad from Syria, the UN envoy says that the sanctions should not be lifted

The UN ambassador on Sunday called for an immediate end to Western sanctions in Syria as new national leaders and regional and global powers begin to chart a path forward and follow the fall of President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian government has been under strict sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result Assad's brutal response in what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and later descended into civil war.

I a coalition of rebels who overthrew Assad and broke his iron grip on the country a few days ago is facing a country devastated and deeply divided by heavy international sanctions, which compounded Syria's previous economic problems. But other challenges complicate the reconstruction of Syria: the new leadership of the transition has not set a clear vision of how the country will be governed, and the main party involved in this terrorist designation by the US.

The UN's ambassador to Syria, Geir Pedersen, told reporters in Damascus that bringing Syria back from the last few turbulent weeks would be helped by the immediate release of sanctions.

“We hope that we can see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can really see a rally in the construction of Syria,” he said.

Parts of Syria's major cities remain damaged or destroyed by years of war. Reconstruction has been severely hampered by sanctions aimed at preventing the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and property in government-held areas without a political solution.

Pedersen traveled to Damascus to meet with officials of the new interim government formed by the opposition forces that ousted Assad, led by the Islamic terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Officials in Washington have indicated that the Biden administration is considering removing the name of the terrorist group. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that officials have communicated directly and the group.

Over the weekend, Blinken held an emergency meeting in Jordan where he said he received the support of 12 foreign ministers from the Arab League, Turkey and senior officials of the European Union and the United Nations on how Syria should be managed after decades of the Assad family. to rule.

They agreed that the new government should respect the rights of minorities and women, prevent terrorist groups from taking hold, ensure humanitarian aid reaches those who need it, and secure and destroy any remaining Assad-era chemical weapons. Blinken promised that the United States would recognize and support a new government that meets those goals.

A readout of President Biden's phone call with G7 leaders said they discussed “the need for a Syrian-led and pro-Syrian political transition process” among other issues in the Middle East.

As the clock runs out on the Biden administration, it is unclear what path President-elect Donald Trump will take on Syria.

Syria's interim government will remain in power until March, but has yet to specify the process by which a new administration will take over.

“We need to push forward a political process that includes all Syrians,” Pedersen said. “That process obviously needs to be led by the Syrians themselves.”

He called for “justice and accountability for the crimes” committed during the war and for the international community to strengthen its hand to help people.

In a sign of the Syrian people's eagerness to return to normalcy, even after rebel attacks in recent weeks, schools in Damascus reopened on Sunday for the first time since the militants marched on the capital.

At the Nahla Zaidan school in the capital's Mezzah neighborhood, teachers raised the three-starred revolution flag instead of the two-starred Syrian flag of the previous government.

“Syria is trying to build this country with these children who came. Although I think some of them are afraid, they came to build Syria and live the victory of this country,” said Maysoun Al-Ali, the director of the school.

“God willing, there will be more development, more security and more construction in this lovely country.”