The conflict in Syria continues to dominate the headlines of newspapers, weighing heavy on the hearts and minds of policy-makers across the world. I have, on several occasions, written about this issue and emphasised the need for a cohesive approach by the international community, in order to put this war-torn nation on a path towards peace.
The Syrian conflict, which started in March 2011, has left the country in shambles, claiming thousands of casualties and leaving millions displaced. The ongoing violence highlights the pressing need for a peaceful end, which becomes more and more critical with each passing day.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, the international community has responded in numerous ways to the escalating violence. Whilst the Arab League suspended Syria in November 2011, the European Union imposed a range of sanctions including travel bans, an asset freeze and an oil embargo. Meanwhile, UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan established a six-point peace plan, which, just as other measures taken, failed to stop the bloodshed. Annan has since resigned from his post and was replaced by Lakhdar Brahimi in August this year. Brahimi attempted to further the peace process through a brief ceasefire, which was meant to take place at the end of October but failed to be fully observed.
As the conflict continues, every measure taken to promote peace in the country gives rise to renewed hopes that an end could eventually come into sight.
On the 19th of November, EU Foreign Ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the latest events in Syria. At the meeting, Ministers lamented the worsening crisis in the country and its possible repercussions for the stability of neighbouring nations. In a move that made news headlines, this meeting also saw EU Ministers endorse the newly-formed National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. European leaders recognised the Coalition as a "legitimate representative of the aspirations of the Syrian people" and hence pinned hopes to the fact that this Coalition may eventually drive forward a process of political transition, with the aim of establishing a viable alternative to the Syrian regime.
Whilst EU leaders have endorsed this new Opposition group, a number of member states of the European Union, as well as Turkey and various Gulf States decided to take their endorsement a step further by giving their full diplomatic recognition to this group. France even went as far as saying that this Coalition was the "sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people".
So what does this newly-formed Coalition look like?
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces is the unification of previously fractious Opposition groups, who aim to present a common front against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Coalition was formed in the beginning of November in the Qatari capital Doha and is headed by Sheikh Ahmad Mouaz al-Khatib. The group will be based in Cairo and it aims to create a viable counterweight to the Syrian government, seeking to promote human rights and to make progress on ending the current conflict. It aims to raise 60 billion dollars from surrounding countries to help rebuild the tattered nation and encourages a peaceful political transition.
The endorsement of this group can be regarded as an important reminder that the international community is still actively seeking for solutions to the conflict in Syria. The Foreign ministers of 27 EU member states, upon expressing their support for the National Coalition, also recognised the utter necessity for the unification of the opposition. Thus far, the fragmented nature of Syrian opposition groups has stood in the way of creating a strong and viable alternative to the current regime. Between the fragmentation in Syria itself and the disharmony amongst bystander countries, it has proved difficult to find a way to end the ongoing violence in the country. The Ministers of the European Union encouraged the National Coalition to move forward and reach out to all Opposition groups and to equally take an inclusive approach that encompasses all sections of Syrian civil society.
Whilst the ongoing bloodshed in Syria is a cause for concern, it is important to recognise events like these as milestones on an uphill journey towards a peaceful solution. It remains to be seen whether the new Coalition will be able to present the unified front that many are hoping to see and whether it will prove instrumental in the resolution of what seems like a gridlocked conflict. The unification is certainly a step forward from the fragmented factions that existed previously and it marks a new phase for the Opposition to the current Syrian regime.
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP