UNITED NATIONS: International envoy Kofi Annan expressed “horror” Thursday at the latest massacre in Syria and called for President Bashar Assad to face “consequences” for the worsening conflict.
Annan told the UN General Assembly that the Syrian crisis was worsening and warned that without a dramatic change, “the future is likely to be one of brutal repression, massacres, sectarian violence and even all-out civil war.”
The meeting was dominated by reports of the massacre in the Syrian village of Al-Kubeir, as the charred bodies of women and children lay scattered in houses across farmland in the small Sunni enclave in central Syria after pro-regime militiamen allegedly carried out the attack on Wednesday.
Annan said he wanted to express “horror and condemnation at the fact that a new massacre of tens of civilians including children and women was perpetrated.”
“Those responsible for perpetrating these crimes must be held to account. We cannot allow mass killing to become part of everyday reality in Syria,” Annan told the 193-nation body.
Annan called for stronger international action to back his six-point peace plan, which President Bashar Assad has so far failed to carry out.
He said the international community had united behind the peace plan, “but it now must take that unity to a new level.”
“We must find the will and the common ground to act — and act as one,” he said. “Individual actions or interventions will not resolve the crisis. As we demand compliance with international law and the six-point plan, it must be made clear that there will be consequences if compliance is not forthcoming.”
UN monitors shot
UN leader Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, said funmen fired shots at UN monitors trying to get into a Syrian massacre after the reported massacre of dozens of inhabitants.
None of the monitors were injured but the UN team had to abandon until Friday attempts to get to Al-Kubeir, a UN spokesman added.
“UN monitors were initially denied access,” Ban told a UN General Assembly meeting on the Syria crisis.
“They are working now to get to the scene and I just learned a few minutes ago that while trying to do so, the UN monitors were shot at with small arms.”
A UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, later gave more details of the attack.
“The mission reports that, around 3:00 p.m. (1300 GMT) local time today, a four-vehicle convoy from the mission was hit by small arms fire in Hama, while en route to investigate yesterday’s alleged killings,” Haq said.
“No UN military observers were injured, but one vehicle was slightly damaged. The patrol was forced to withdraw to a nearby government checkpoint.”
Al-Kubeir is close to the protest city of Hama.
“The monitors were not able to enter Al-Kubeir today. They will try again tomorrow,” Haq added.
Ban again strongly condemned President Bashar Assad’s government over the recent massacres in Houla and Al-Kubeir.
“The trail of blood leads back to those responsible,” he said. “Any regime or leader that tolerates such killing of innocents has lost its fundamental humanity.”
Ban called the reports coming from Al-Kubeir “shocking and sickening.”
“We condemn this unspeakable barbarity and renew our determination to bring those responsible to account,” he said.
