Annan says Assad fails to send 'signal of peace'

UNITED NATIONS: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has failed to send the required "signal of peace" and the UN Security Council must pressure him to heed a ceasefire, UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday.

Annan called on the council to register "deep concern" at Syria's failure to withdraw troops and guns from cities by Tuesday and stress the importance of meeting a new "deadline" of Thursday for a complete halt to hostilities.

A "fundamental change of course" was needed by Assad to end the bloodshed, said a letter sent by Annan to the council, which was obtained by AFP.

The Syrian army has continued "rolling military operations" against civilian targets in the days ahead of a Tuesday deadline to get guns and troops out of Syrian cities, said the letter.

Syrian government forces withdrew from some cities before the deadline but now have new targets, he added. Assad's guns still have cities "within firing range".

The UN says that more than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria in the past 13 months and Annan highlighted that an increased flow of refugees to Turkey and other neighboring countries "gives a strong indication of a surge in violence."

"The days before April 10 could have been an opportunity for the government of Syria to send a powerful political signal of peace," Annan said. "In the last five days it has become clear that such a signal has yet to be issued."

"The Syrian leadership should now seize the opportunity to make a fundamental change of course," the envoy said.

"It is essential that the next 48 hours bring visible signs of immediate and indisputable change in the military posture of government forces throughout the country" in line with the six-point plan agreed by Assad.

With dozens more deaths reported on Tuesday, Western nations have already said that Assad has failed to keep to the peace plan and some have called for new international action on Syria.

"At this critical moment, I would be grateful if a united council could register its deep concern at the state of the implementation of the Syrian government's immediate obligations," said Annan.

He said the council should "impress upon the parties the importance of meeting the deadline of April 12.

"The cessation of violence in all its forms is a first but essential step. It must not be delayed by new conditions. Violence must stop now."

Annan's letter was delivered to the council by his deputy, Jean-Marie Guehenno, who briefed UN envoys on the state of Annan's peace initiative. Annan said he hoped to speak to the council on Thursday.

The special envoy went to Damascus in March to negotiate a peace deal with Assad who later agreed to a six-point plan which included the withdrawal of troops and guns from cities as a preliminary move toward a complete ceasefire.

Annan says that if the government had carried out its commitments by Tuesday he would have called for a complete ceasefire by government and opposition forces at 6:00 am Damascus time on Thursday.

Russia and China have vetoed two Security Council resolutions on Syria. But both agreed statements which backed Annan's peace plan and the April 10 deadline for troops to be pulled out of cities.

Negotiations were to start straight away on the Security Council's next move. Britain wants the council to consider ordering a crimes against humanity investigation, Foreign Secretary William Hague said earlier.

"If this process fails Britain is ready to return to the UN Security Council to call again for a united international response to this clear threat to international peace and security," Hague said in London.

"We will begin the process of seeking the referral by the Security Council of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court," he added. (AFP)