Stefan Schneck, Germany's envoy to Syria, speaks to Rudaw in Damascus on March 9, 2025. Photo: screengrab/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Germany’s envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, on Sunday described as “deeply worrying” the deadly clashes in west Syria between loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and security forces aligned with the new Damascus leadership.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that some 1,018 people - mostly civilians - were killed in the violence over the past four days, including “745 civilians killed in cold blood in sectarian massacres.” The casualties also included 125 government-affiliated forces and 148 Assad loyalists, according to the UK-based Observatory.
"We are here to support the Syrians, the new and free Syria, towards a better future following the [downfall of the Assad’s] horrific dictatorship,” Schneck told Rudaw on Sunday. He emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the country's transitional phase, stressing the importance of national unity and “a politically inclusive process” to break the cycle of “vengeance” that has plagued Syria for years.
Schneck’s remarks followed a statement by Germany’s foreign ministry, which condemned the violence, stressing that “the transitional government [in Syria] is responsible for preventing further attacks, investigating the [unfortunate] incidents, and holding those responsible to account."
France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, condemned via X “the atrocities committed against civilians in Syria” as “unacceptable.” He underscored the need to guarantee the protection of communities and stressed that “impunity must not be granted to those implicated in these crimes.”
On Sunday as well, the British Foreign Secretary also posted a statement on X, urging Damascus to “ensure the protection of all Syrians and set out a clear path to transitional justice.” David Lammy described the reports of the civilian casualties in western Syria as “horrific.”
Earlier in the day, the European Union’s diplomatic service strongly condemned “the recent attacks - reportedly by pro-Assad elements - against interim government forces in the coastal areas of Syria and all violence against civilians.” The EU stressed that “civilians have to be protected in all circumstances in full respect of international humanitarian law.”
For his part, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the "radical Islamist terrorists" responsible for massacres against minorities in Syria and urged the new leadership in Damascus to hold the perpetrators accountable. He asserted that Washington “stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities."
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