UN Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen has called for free and fair elections and humanitarian assistance for Syria, expressing hope for a political solution in the northeast after al-Assad’s ouster this month.

Addressing reporters in Damascus, Pedersen expressed hope for “free and fair elections … after a transitional period”, also calling for “immediate humanitarian assistance” for the war-torn country and saying that “hopefully we will see a political solution” in the Kurdish-held northeast.

Pedersen said that there is a lot of hope that “we can now see the beginning of a new Syria.”

Additionally, Pederson stated that it is vital that Syria’s new leadership keeps its promises to respect the rights of all the country’s diverse religious and ethnic groups.

Speaking to a news agency, the UN envoy said that Syrians were experiencing “a lot of hope and a lot of fear… at the same time.”

He called for all parties, inside and outside Syria, to do all they could to create stability in the country.

Bashar al-Assad’s regime was overthrown less than two weeks ago by a rebel coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, a Sunni Islamist group that claims to have disavowed its jihadist extremist past since it split from al-Qaeda in 2016.

HTS is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, the US, the EU, the UK and others.

Symbolically, its leader has dropped his wartime pseudonym of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and reverted to his real name of Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Sunni Muslims are a majority in Syria, which has a strong secular tradition.

Al-Sharaa insists HTS is a religious nationalist movement prepared to tolerate other groups.

Pedersen noted that al-Sharaa has said “many positive things.” However, some Syrians, he said, did not believe the HTS leader, who until 2016 had a long history as a jihadist extremist.

“I must be honest. I’m hearing from many Syrians that they’re asking questions whether this will actually be implemented. They’ve got their doubts.”
Geir Pedersen

That, he said, was not surprising, given the speed of change in Syria.

“If the transition is to succeed, this needs to be a process that is co-operative.

“[Sharaa] needs to work with the different armed factions that went in together with him. He needs to work with a broader group of former opposition. He needs to make sure that he’s working with a broad group of civil society women. And as we all agree with the broadest spectrum possible of Syrian society.”
Geir Pedersen

Also, Pederson said that the international community was ready to help and support Syria’s new leadership.

Pederson Expressed Hopes Of Lifting Sanctions On Syria

Moreover, the UN Envoy to Syria emphasised that hopes of lifting sanctions on Syria and taking HTS off the terrorist list depended on its behaviour.

He hoped to give it the benefit of the doubt for three months – the time HTS has said that its interim government will rule before a more long-term arrangement.

“I think there is an understanding that for Syria really to be successful, we need to see a delisting, and we need to see sanctions lifted. But I think also it’s very important that it’s understood that this will not just happen because everyone wants positive things.”
Geir Pedersen

He disclosed that member states are following very carefully what will be happening on the ground. He added, “But I do believe that if what has been said in public is actually being implemented in practice, yes, then I think we can see the delisting and the end of sanctions.”