UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura gestures during a press briefing at the Syrian peace talks on February 3, 2016 in Geneva. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN special envoy for Syria announced on Wednesday a “temporary pause” until February 25 of troubled talks aimed at ending the country’s brutal civil war.
“I have concluded frankly that after the first week of preparatory talks there is more work to be done, not only by us but the stakeholders,” Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva.
“I have indicated from the first day I won’t talk for the sake of talking. I therefore have taken the decision to bring a temporary pause. It is not the end or the failure of the talks,” he said.
“Both sides indicated they are interested in having the political process started. I have already fixed a date for the next talks of 25th February.”
Syria’s main opposition group met formally on February 1 for the first time with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva for talks aimed at ending the country’s civil war. (FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)
His comments came after several days of fruitless talks aimed at starting indirect negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition.
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The “proximity talks” were to last six months and result in elections within 18 months. Yet, finding a solution to the Syrian civil war continues to prove elusive as the conflict approaches its fifth year. The war has claimed more than 200,000 lives and displaced half the Syrian population.
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