Syria begins troops pull out as part of cease-fire plan
The UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan says Syria has started pulling troops out of several cities in accordance with a peace plan proposed by the former UN chief.
Annan told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that the Syrian government told him it had started a "partial withdrawal" from cities of Idlib, Zabadani and Daraa.
Annan said that he would call for a complete cessation of hostilities by 6:00 am Damascus time on April 12, after the withdrawal by the Syrian government.
"I urge the government and the opposition commanders to issue clear instructions so that the message reaches across the country down to the fighter and soldier at the local level," he said.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross says Damascus has agreed to give the organization access to prison facilities across Syria.
An advance team led by the Norwegian general Robert Mood arrived in Damascus today to discuss the deployment of UN observers to monitor the ceasefire plan in Syria.
On Monday, Syrian President Bashar Assad agreed to an April 10 deadline to implement international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan, which calls for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from population centers and a cease-fire.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011 and many people, including security forces, have been killed in the violence.
Syria has blamed outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist gangs for the unrest in the country, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. The West and the Syrian opposition, however, accuse the Syrian government of killing protesters.
Annan told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that the Syrian government told him it had started a "partial withdrawal" from cities of Idlib, Zabadani and Daraa.
Annan said that he would call for a complete cessation of hostilities by 6:00 am Damascus time on April 12, after the withdrawal by the Syrian government.
"I urge the government and the opposition commanders to issue clear instructions so that the message reaches across the country down to the fighter and soldier at the local level," he said.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross says Damascus has agreed to give the organization access to prison facilities across Syria.
An advance team led by the Norwegian general Robert Mood arrived in Damascus today to discuss the deployment of UN observers to monitor the ceasefire plan in Syria.
On Monday, Syrian President Bashar Assad agreed to an April 10 deadline to implement international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan, which calls for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from population centers and a cease-fire.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011 and many people, including security forces, have been killed in the violence.
Syria has blamed outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist gangs for the unrest in the country, asserting that it is being orchestrated from abroad. The West and the Syrian opposition, however, accuse the Syrian government of killing protesters.