Syria govt refuses talks with Opposition’s top peace negotiator, calls him ‘terrorist’

Ja'afari accused Alloush of membership in a terrorist group that "bombed embassies" and "killed engineering school students" and other people.

By: AP

Beirut | March 16, 2016 07:09 PM IST

2 min read

Syria peace talks, Syria peace negotiations, UN negotiations, Geneva talks, Syria UN ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, Syria war, Syria news, Middle East news, World news

Syrian chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari, Ambassador of the Permanent Representative Mission of the Syria to UN New York, briefs the media after a round of negotiations between the Syrian government and UN Special Envoy, Wednesday. (Keystone via AP)

The head of Syria’s government delegation at peace talks in Geneva is refusing to take part in direct talks with the opposition’s top negotiator, calling him a “terrorist.”

Bashar Ja’afari, Syria’s UN ambassador, did not mention Mohammed Alloush by name, though Alloush represents the powerful Army of Islam group and is the chief negotiator for the Saudi-backed opposition, known as the High Negotiations Committee.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after a meeting with the UN envoy for Syria, Ja’afari accused Alloush of membership in a terrorist group that “bombed embassies” and “killed engineering school students” and other people. He did not elaborate.

Ja’afari said he would not take part in direct talks “unless that personality apologizes for the statement he made previously and withdraws it,” without specifying.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has been hosting separate meetings with government and opposition delegates — including Alloush — since the “proximity talks” resumed on Monday.

From the homepage