UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has told the Syrian government and opposition that the year-long conflict must end at 6:00 a.m. local time on April 12 if the government meets an April 10 deadline to silence its weapons, Annan said on Thursday.
Speaking by video link from Geneva, Annan told the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly that he was urging “the government and the opposition commanders to issue clear instructions so that the message reaches across the country, down to the fighter and soldier at the local level.”
“We must silence the tanks, helicopters, mortars, guns and stop all other forms of violence too – sexual abuse, torture, executions, abductions, destruction of homes, forced displacement and other abuses, including on children,” he said.
Annan addressed the assembly after the 15-nation Security Council increased the pressure on Syria by unanimously adopting a so-called “presidential statement” endorsing next week’s deadline and warning Damascus of “further steps” if Syria did not meet the deadline, which the Syrians have publicly accepted.
“The Security Council calls upon the Syrian government to implement urgently and visibly its commitments … to a) cease troop movements toward population centers, b) cease all use of heavy weapons in such centers, and c) begin pull back of military concentrations in and around population centers,” the statement said.
The council also urges Damascus to “fulfill these in their entirety by no later than 10 April, 2012.”
An earlier draft, obtained by Reuters, said the council “demands” compliance from Damascus. Western diplomats said the text was watered-down to secure Russia and Chinese approval.
The agreed statement includes a second deadline that affects the opposition as well: “The Security Council calls upon all parties, including the opposition, to cease armed violence in all its forms within 48 hours of the implementation in their entirety by the Syrian government of measures a, b, c.”
Annan made clear the second deadline for silencing all guns takes effect at 6:00 a.m. Syrian time (0400 GMT) on April 12.
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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the assembly that the violence in Syria against civilians had not stopped and the conflict was getting worse.
“Despite the Syrian government’s acceptance of the joint special envoy’s (Annan’s) plan of initial proposals to resolve the crisis, the violence and assaults in civilian areas have not stopped. The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate,” Ban said.
Annan told the Security Council on Monday that the Syrian government had accepted the deadline, and that he wanted an end of rebel operations within 48 hours after the government stops fighting.
The Security Council statement asked Annan to update it on compliance with the timeline and warned that it “will consider further steps as appropriate.” Russia and China, however, have made clear they would oppose any attempts to sanction Syria.
The United Nations says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have killed more than 9,000 people in the past year as he has tried to crush pro-democracy demonstrations across the country. Syria told the world body last week that 6,044 had died, including 2,566 soldiers and police.
Western diplomats have expressed skepticism about Assad’s intentions. They said it was doubtful he would fully comply with the deadline since he has broken previous promises to halt military action against civilian protesters.
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The council also asks Ban Ki-moon to present proposals for a U.N. observer mission to monitor compliance with any future truce. As part of Annan’s peace plan, the U.N. peacekeeping department is planning for a ceasefire monitoring mission that would have 200 to 250 unarmed observers. It would require a Security Council resolution.
A senior Western diplomat said that Western council members are hoping Annan will brief the council on April 11 to let them know whether Damascus has met the first deadline and again on April 13 after the second 48-hour deadline had passed.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomat said that Annan would be the one to decide whether Syria has met the deadline based on the “best available information.”
Russia and China have voiced full support for Annan and the April 10 deadline.
(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Editing by Vicki Allen)