The main Syrian opposition group says it is sending a delegation to Geneva, where United Nations-led peace talks started Friday. But it is “not coming to negotiate.”
Monzer Makhous, a spokesman for the High Negotiations Committee, said “we are not going to the U.N.,” but expects to meet the special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, at their hotel.
Makhous said they are waiting for a commitment from the Syrian government that it will fulfill certain conditions laid out in a U.N. Security Council Resolution on the peace process.
Some of those conditions include allowing humanitarian agencies “rapid, safe and unhindered access throughout Syria” and the cessation of attacks against civilians and medical facilities.
De Mistura had urged the opposition to come regardless of whether the government complies with opposition demands such as releasing prisoners and ending sieges of rebel-held territories.
“We told Mr. de Mistura that these principles are above the negotiation, that they are final (and) cannot be discussed or compromised,” said Riyad Hijab, head of the High Negotiations Committee.
An earlier communique from the group was misconstrued as a commitment by them to participate in the political talks in Geneva.
Though not all parties are involved, peace talks started Friday after a series of delays. They were initially set to kick off Monday, but were delayed because of ongoing discussions about who should represent the opposition, de Mistura told reporters this week.
The current round of talks are the first time in two years that the warring sides in Syria are meeting in an effort to find a political solution to the crisis.
Aid group: More dying in Madaya
One of the Syrian towns in dire need of humanitarian help is Madaya, where 16 people have died in the past few weeks since three rare aid convoys dropped some food and medical supplies, according to a well-known aid group.
Doctors Without Borders officials said Friday that in addition to the starvation deaths, there still are 320 cases of malnutrition, 32 of which are severe.
Director of Operations Brice de le Vingne said, “It is totally unacceptable that people continue to die from starvation, and that critical medical cases remain in the town when they should have been evacuated weeks ago.”
The United Nations says 400,000 Syrians badly need food aid.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant and political group that is accused by opposition activists of helping the Syrian government’s siege of Madaya, has blamed rebel groups for preventing aid convoys from reaching the town and two others.
The besieged town is not far from the border with Lebanon.