Mon Dec 16 17:09:30 UTC 2024: ## UN Envoy Presses Syria’s New Leaders for Inclusive Transition

**Damascus, Syria –** The United Nations has urged Syria’s new Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government to implement a credible and inclusive political transition. UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen met with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) and interim Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir in Damascus on Monday. The meetings followed an international conference on Syria held in Jordan.

Pedersen emphasized the need for a Syrian-led political process based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015). He also reiterated the UN’s commitment to assisting the Syrian people. While the UN hailed the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad after an 11-day rebel offensive, concerns remain regarding the treatment of minorities under the new Sunni Muslim leadership. Several Western nations, including the US and UK, have already contacted al-Sharaa, but have expressed a wait-and-see approach regarding the HTS government’s actions. Al-Assad’s regime ended after five decades, following the abandonment of his Russian and Iranian allies. The HTS, formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, is still designated a terrorist group by many Western governments.

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