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Syrian opposition blames Assad regime for failing peace process, expresses gratitude for Brahimi's attempts

The Syrian opposition bid farewell to Syria peace talks mediator Lakhdar Brahimi by thanking him for his efforts to help end the Syrian civil war which has raged since 2011, and said it shared in his frustration with the Syrian regime for impeding the peace process.

By JC Finley
UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, pictured on October 26, 2013. (UPI/Maryam Rahmanian)
UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, pictured on October 26, 2013. (UPI/Maryam Rahmanian) | License Photo

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 14 (UPI) -- Responding to news of U.N.-Arab League Joint Special Representative and Syria peace talks mediator Lakhdar Brahimi's resignation, the Syrian Opposition Coalition said Tuesday that it was both appreciative of his efforts and sympathetic to his frustrations with the peace process.

The Syrian opposition's Special Representative to the U.N., Dr. Najib Ghadbian, said "We appreciate Mr. Brahimi's work to try to bring a political settlement to the conflict in Syria. We share his frustration with the Assad regime for not engaging constructively in the political process."

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In order to move the political process forward, Ghadbian stated, the international community must exert "concerted... pressure" on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The opposition will explore such options on Thursday at the London 11 Core Group Ministerial meeting, he said.

The 80-year-old Brahimi served as the Syria peace talks mediator for two years.

The Syria conflict, which began in 2011, has claimed over 100,000 lives. Over 680,000 have been injured and over 9.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. It has also begun a refugee crisis in which 2.5 million people have taken refuge in other countries.

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