UN Envoy Meets Sharaa, Urges ‘Credible and Inclusive’ Transition in Syria

UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen meets with head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released on December 15, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen meets with head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released on December 15, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
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UN Envoy Meets Sharaa, Urges ‘Credible and Inclusive’ Transition in Syria

UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen meets with head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released on December 15, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)
UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen meets with head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Syria's de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released on December 15, 2024. (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham/Handout via Reuters)

The United Nations told the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group which toppled Bashar al-Assad that Syria must have a "credible and inclusive" transition.

The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen who arrived in Damascus on Sunday, has met Ahmad al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Pedersen's office said Monday in a statement.

He also met interim prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir, it said.

Pedersen met them after Saturday's international meeting on Syria in Jordan, and stressed "the need for a credible and inclusive Syrian-owned and led political transition based on the principles of United Nations Security Council resolution 2254 (2015)".

The UN envoy also underlined "the intention of the United Nations to render all assistance to the Syrian people" and was briefed on their "challenges and priorities", the statement added.

"The Special Envoy stressed the intention of the United Nations to render all assistance to the Syrian people," it continued.

It said Pedersen had several engagements planned in the days ahead, but did not elaborate.

Assad was toppled by a lightning 11-day opposition offensive that swept down from northwest Syria, with fighters entering the capital on December 8.

Abandoned by his Russian and Iranian backers, Assad fled into exile in Moscow, bring to an end five decades of abuses by his family.

The HTS group that led his overthrow is a former branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, and the United States and other Western governments still classify it as a "terrorist" group.

Several countries including the United States and Britain have said they have already made contact with Sharaa.



Jordan Arrests 16 For 'Targeting National Security'

Jordanian soldiers pictured in June 2024. (Petra news agency)
Jordanian soldiers pictured in June 2024. (Petra news agency)
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Jordan Arrests 16 For 'Targeting National Security'

Jordanian soldiers pictured in June 2024. (Petra news agency)
Jordanian soldiers pictured in June 2024. (Petra news agency)

Jordan's intelligence service on Tuesday announced the arrests of 16 people for allegedly planning to target national security and sow "chaos", state media reported.

"Jordan's General Intelligence Department (GID) has foiled plans aimed at targeting national security, sowing chaos, and sabotaging within Jordan," the Petra state news agency reported.

"The GID has detained 16 suspects after close intelligence monitoring since 2021," it added.

It said the suspects were arrested for "manufacturing rockets using local tools as well as tools imported for illegal purposes, possession of explosives and firearms, concealing a rocket ready to be deployed, planning to manufacture drones, and recruiting and training operatives in Jordan as well as training them abroad".

The case has been referred to the state security court, Petra added.

No other details were immediately available.