Sudanese former general to lead Arab League mission to Syria
December 21, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Arab League on Wednesday decided to tap a Sudanese former general to lead the body’s monitoring group to Syria.
Al-Dabi told the Doha-based al-Sharq newspaper said that his meeting with al-Araby will tackle the administrative and technical aspect of his monitoring team.
He added that the timeframe of when the mission will start is to be determined in the next few days revealing that his team will be comprised of 150 monitors, 30 of which are from Sudan.
“The task assigned to me by the Arab League is the implementation of the protocol on Syria with the Syrian leadership, which includes a number of things including the promotion of stability and lasting peace in Syria and stopping the killing, through the deployment of observers to monitor the situation on the ground to stop the constant conflict between the brothers in Syria and ensure compliance with the Arab initiative” Al-Dabi said.
“Our mission in Syria will not go beyond the context set by the Arab League and that coordination will be compatible with observers assigned by the Arab states” he added.
The United Nations has said more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since anti-Assad protests broke out in March.
Syria stalled for weeks before signing a protocol on Monday to admit the monitors, who will check its compliance with the plan mandating an end to violence, withdrawal of troops from the streets, release of prisoners and dialogue with the opposition.
But Syrian opposition members speaking to CNN criticized the Arab League for naming al-Dabi to be the chairman of the observer mission. They cited close ties between Sudan and Syria and Sudan’s track record of using its own national security officials to target activists and political groups.
Khartoum has been supportive of Syrian regime led by president Bashar al-Assad throughout the crackdown but had a change of heart and approved Arab league sanctions on Damascus last month.
In a related issue the Syrian ambassador to Khartoum Habib Abbas came under attack from a Syrian expatriate at one of the restaurants in al-Riyadh district of the Sudanese capital. Eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune that the man arrived there waiting for Abbas and then started assaulting him. Diners at the restaurant intervened and managed to subdue the attacker whose name was not released.
“The Syrian ambassador informed the Sudanese foreign ministry on Monday that a Syrian citizen attempted to assault him at the center of Khartoum,” Al-Obaid Ahmed Marawih, spokesman of the Sudanese foreign ministry, told Xinhua.
“We have reiterated our condemnation of the incident together with our commitment to protect all personnel of the diplomatic missions in Sudan. We have directed the ambassador to embark on legal procedures at the concerned police authorities,” he added.
He went on saying that “the police authorities have already adopted procedures that will be announced later.”
(ST)