Azernews.Az

By Sarah Rajabova, AzerNews Staff Writer

Lakhdar Brahimi, a former Algerian foreign minister and longtime UN diplomat, has agreed to replace former Secretary General Kofi Annan as peace envoy to Syria, the UN has announced.

Brahimi is considered to be one of the leading diplomats in the world who took part in the solution of complicated conflicts, including those in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 1989, through his mediation as a special envoy of the Arab League, an agreement was signed that ended a 15-year civil war in Lebanon. Brahimi was appointed a UN envoy in connection with the termination of office of the joint special envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States Kofi Annan, on August 31, who failed to bring an end to the armed confrontation between the authorities and the opposition in Syria and establish a dialogue between them.

Kofi Annan was appointed as the joint U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria on February 23, in an attempt to end the increasingly violent uprising that began in March 2011. On March 16, a 6-point peace plan was submitted to the UN. Annan held negotiations with the Syrian government and rebels but his efforts did not yield fruit. Following a prolonging discourse of the peace mission, Annan resigned on August 2, citing the intransigence of both the Assad government and the rebels, as well as the stalemate on the Security Council preventing any peaceful resolution of the situation.

The UN`s new peace envoy to Syria told the BBC he was committed to finding a solution to the conflict. He said his task was no longer to prevent a civil war, but to end one.

``Civil war is the cruellest kind of conflict, when a neighbour kills his neighbour and sometimes his brother,`` Brahimi told France 24 television. In an interview with the broadcaster, believed to be his first since assuming the role, the former foreign minister also said he would begin by ``putting his ear to the ground and listening to everybody.``

Briahimi said he is not sure it will end the war in Syria, but he will make all the efforts and look forward to working with the Syrians and the support of the international community, Russian RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Brahimi said he hoped the UN Security Council would be more united behind him, as he sets out to try to mediate an end to the 17-month conflict. Brahimi noted that he had experience dealing with a divided Security Council when he was envoy to Afghanistan. Therefore, he believes a united Security Council was crucial for success.

Commenting on the present situation in Syria, he noted that speaking about any kind of military intervention there will make his mission fail.

However, the newly appointed UN envoy has not presented his own plan over the Syria conflict yet. Therefore, it is a matter of time whether or not he will be successful in his mission.

The appointment of Brahimi, 78, was widely welcomed by the international community on Sunday.

Turkey said that it welcomed the appointment of the Algerian diplomat as UN`s new peace envoy to Syria, Anadolu news agency reported. A statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Ankara believed that Brahimi would make an important contribution to a peaceful democratic transition in Syria in line with legitimate demands of the Syrian people.

Turkey is also ready to cooperate with Brahimi as it did with Annan, it said.

Catherine Ashton, who is in charge of the EU diplomacy, welcomed the appointment of Brahimi and promised him ``full support" of the EU, RIA Novosti reported.

Moscow, Washington and Beijing have also thrown their weight behind the new special UN envoy.

Officials in Damascus have also offered their support. Analysts say he has a formidable reputation at the UN but is also seen as independent of the major powers. However, opposition groups have expressed scepticism about his ability to accomplish his mission.