Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on Syria
Mr. President,
We are grateful to the Pakistani presidency for swiftly reacting to the request from Syria, supported by Algeria and Somalia, to convene today's UNSC emergency meeting in connection with the latest dangerous spiral of tension in the Middle East, this time this affects Syria. We would like to thank Khaled Khiari for his briefing.
We are deeply concerned about what is happening in Syria. We have historical ties of friendship and cooperation with the brotherly Syrian people, and we sympathize with them wholeheartedly. Syrians deserve a peaceful, calm life, free from fear of persecution due to their ethnic or religious affiliation. The path to sustainable normalization in Syria lies solely through an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned dialogue in line with UNSC resolution 2254 as well as through strengthening national reconciliation with the genuine participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups, without imposing alien formulas and without excluding representatives of the various communities of Syria’s multi-religious society from this process.
Syria has always been home to many peoples and religions. This is its strength and its historical significance. The international community has a duty to help Syrians preserve the integrity of their diverse country and ensure their right to have a peaceful future. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go.
Today, the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) has once again become the focus of attention of the members of the Security Council, which is due to a sharp worsening of the situation in the south of the country, particularly in the province of Suwayda. Let’s set aside for a while the illegal actions of Israel, which we unequivocally condemn – we’ll talk about them later. Now we would like to delve into the root causes of the current crisis. On July 13, there were clashes in the south of Syria, initially between members of the Druze community and Bedouin tribes, after which units of the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior were sent to the administrative center of the governorate. Fierce clashes involving security forces and local armed groups resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including civilians and members of ethnic and religious minorities. Hundreds of civilians were wounded and had to flee their homes seeking safety. The media and social networks were replete with images showing brutal reprisals against defenseless people by rampant armed gangs reveled in impunity – all this is shocking and remands of the tragic events in the west of Syria, which gave rise to many questions that still need to be answered. The silence of the international community in such a situation is unacceptable.
We wish to express our sincere condolences to all Syrians affected by this wave of bloodshed. We strongly condemn any forms of violence against civilians, regardless of who is perpetrating these acts or under what pretext. We believe that attacks on the lives and safety of civilians are unacceptable. We call for immediate de-escalation, restoration of calm, and unhindered humanitarian access to those in need. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres rightly noted, what is happening there is not just clashes, but an open violation of humanitarian norms, which includes extrajudicial killings, acts of interfaith violence, and forced displacement of civilians. Such recurring outbreaks of violence not only undermine the ethno-confessional stability of the future Syria and confidence in the transition process, but also endanger the very existence of the Syrian state. It is important that the UN leadership, including the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. Geir Pedersen, whose staff are on the ground, are not afraid to give an accurate assessment of the situation.
References to the alleged “fight against remnants of the regime” or “clashes with pro-Assad elements” made by some representatives of the Syrian leadership and by certain other countries cannot serve as a justification for the persecution of religious and national minorities and ethno-confessional cleansing. Despite the claims that a number of armed groups with tarnished reputation have been disbanded, many of them have retained their autonomy and become participants in the current escalation. We are particularly alarmed by the fact that foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) are still present in the ranks of the security forces, who are in charge of ensuring the safety of the population, including ethno-confessional minorities. There is ample evidence that they are not citizens of Syria and often openly associate themselves with ISIL or express sympathy for it.
This has been documented both in open sources and in videos posted by the fighters themselves. In a number of cases, these armed thugs openly threaten to assault Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Kurds. It is obvious that on such a foundation it is impossible to build a strong, viable state that respects the interests of all Syrians.
Therefore, the current escalation is not a tragic accident. And the problem is not only the situation in which ethnic and religious minorities find themselves. We have repeatedly warned of the risks of marginalizing entire strata of Syrian society, just as was earlier the case in Iraq, where given the absence of a national dialogue and mechanisms for social integration, state institutions were destroyed and thousands of armed people were left outside the state system. The campaign to persecute “supporters of the former regime” is not only splitting Syrian society (in the same way that Iraqi society was previously split), but it is also creating breeding ground for radicals to return to power. Today, we can see the consequences of this: armed groups are again “running the show” on the streets of Syrian cities, creating an atmosphere of fear and impunity.
Let me recall here that it is imperative to ensure the safety of Russian nationals and facilities in Syria, and we demand that the Syrian authorities undertake appropriate measures in this regard.
According to the information we have, this time, we managed to avoid the most destructive scenario for Syria's development. We took note of the announcement that a ceasefire agreement has been reached, as well as of the statement by the Syrian leadership condemning human rights violations and promising to investigate crimes against civilians. It is essential that this be followed by specific steps, in accordance with the principles of transparency and accountability, which is something that UN Secretary-General vigorously called for. The UNSC should be informed about the outcome or progress of the investigation into the tragic events in the west of Syria and, in general, be kept abreast of the steps taken by the new authorities to protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.
Mr. President,
We are equally concerned by the fact that these alarming developments have been compounded by intensified military action by the Israeli Air Force against the territory of Syria. We are referring to new rounds of Israeli air strikes against Damascus and southern regions of SAR, which, according to West Jerusalem, were carried out to protect Syrian Druze. Among the targets hit were the buildings of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, including the General Staff building located in the center of the Syrian capital, as well as areas in the vicinity of the Presidential Palace. Many people have been killed or wounded.
We have repeatedly shared our assessments of Israel's arbitrary use of force in Syria, we condemned it then and do condemn it now. Those attacks constitute a gross violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
Russia has consistently and unwaveringly supported the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of SAR. This is not just a diplomatic formula – this is the foundation for the future peaceful structure of the country. These principles cannot be traded or subjected to “double standards.” We must not allow external or internal players to exploit the fragile situation in Syria for their own geopolitical purposes, especially through fueling ethnic and religious tension and undermining the fragile Syrian statehood. And domestic players must not provide any grounds to do so.
