European Forum

The Syrian bloodshed continues while the opposition aims for a united front

On 11 November, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), unveiled its report on Syria accusing the country’s government forces of ‘crimes against humanity’ committed against civilians.

The report particularly emphasises that from mid-April to the end of August the security forces killed at least 587 civilians in Homs, Syria’s third-largest city and one of the main centres of protests against Syrian authoritarian regime. Furthermore, in spite of the Syrian officials’ agreement last week (November 2) to halt the bloodshed, at least another 104 people were reportedly killed since then. The HRW urged the Arab League to suspend Syria’s membership and to ask the United Nations to impose an arms embargo and sanctions against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. It also called for the League to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court due to the testimonies of foreign detainees on torturing by security forces.

The Syrian revolts, which commenced in early March with the aim of ousting President Bashar al-Assad and were met with overwhelming military force, have reached the death toll of more than 3,500, according to the United Nations human rights office.

Syria’s fragmented opposition

As the situation in Syria deteriorates, the anti-government forces are struggling to develop a united opposition front. Burhan Ghalioun, an acting chairman of the Syrian National Council (SNC), that brought together Syrian diplomats and officials in exile, said his organization aims for the unification of all ‘the forces of opposition and the peaceful revolution’ and is ‘open to all Syrians’. Another opposition group, the National Co-ordinating Committee for Democratic Change (NCC), that consists of left-leaning political parties and independent political and youth activists, might be open for the unification with the SNC because both organizations strive for overthrowing of the current al-Assad’s regime, oppose foreign military intervention, and prefer economic sanctions in Syria rather than diplomatic pressure. However, while the NCC calls for dialogue with the regime, the SNC opposes it.

Another opposition assemblies that oppose the dialogue with the regime are the Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC), the Ghad alliance, the Higher Council of the Syrian Revolution, and an armed group Free Syrian Army (FSA). The latter consists of military defectors and says its membership is between 10,000 to 15,000. Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief, said that Syria runs risk of Libyan-style civil war as Syrian government soldiers tend to desert to back protesters.

Sources: Al Jazeera, RFE/RL. Image: Flickr.