Siham Daoud: weakness of Damascus govt.; reason in imposing severe siege

The Damascus government continues to impose a siege on the canton of Afrin, al-Shahba, and the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, which has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in those areas. The Syrians see it as a continuation of the Damascus government’s policy of targeting Syrians.

Regarding its goals of the siege, the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party, Siham Daoud, told ANHA agency: “The Damascus government’s goal in imposing the siege on the al-Shahba area and the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods is to subjugate the areas outside its control without caring about the disasters that this siege will cause.”

She added: “Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, the Damascus government has been neglecting to control its borders and protect the country’s land and people, and to adhere to the military solution instead of finding a peaceful solution that restores the country’s unity, and whenever the pressure on it from the international side tightens, it responds in the opposite direction to the people, tightening the siege, especially in the areas of al-Shahba and Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods, in an attempt to impose his opinion and agenda and subject the besieged areas to him.”

It stressed that it is a continuation of the policy followed towards North and East Syria by it, Turkey, Russia and Iran. “Everything that is happening in the besieged areas and the regions of North and East Syria is an implementation of the outcomes of the quadripartite meetings that include Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran, and these parties are together and agree on one thing, which is to strike... The project of AANES, and therefore each party is trying to stifle and impose its own siege on the region.”

She pointed out, "All international laws that would protect humans and preserve their dignity become invalid when it comes to international and economic interests. Therefore, the United Nations and the international community must protect human rights according to the laws and put an end to the siege, which is a war crime."

She added: "The international silence and ignoring what is happening in the areas of al-Shahba, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh shows that the economic interests that bind these countries are more important than the fate of the Syrian people who are besieged and deprived of food and medicine."

She stressed, "Our people in the besieged areas have confirmed, from day one, that they have a strong will and have proven to the world that they represent the will of the people who yearn for freedom in order to build a future Syria."

T/ Satt.

ANHA