Syrian Government Rejects Aleppo Self-Rule Plan

The Syrian government has rejected UN proposed Aleppo self-rule plan.

10:27 21 November 2016

A UN proposal to end heavy fighting in the city of Aleppo has been rejected by the Syrian government. Under the plan, Aleppo would remain under opposition if rebel fighters withdrew.  

 

Foreign minister Walid al-Muallem, who said that the proposal was a violation of “national sovereignty”, rejected the truce plan during Sunday’s meeting in Damascus with UN envoy Staffan De Mistura. 

 

De Mistura suggested that the government grant autonomy and recognise the local administration in rebel-held areas of Aleppo if jihadists fighters left the city to which the Syrian minister responded: "It is not acceptable at all to leave some 275,000 of our people as hostages to 6,000 or 7,000 gunmen. There is no government in the world that would accept that.”

 

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, at least 103 people have died in rebel-controlled areas since Tuesday, following a three-week moratorium. Syria Civil Defence also claims that there were 180 air strikes on east Aleppo on Saturday alone.