The United States and Russia have reached a new ceasefire agreement in Syria, set to take effect on Saturday despite questions still remaining over how the truce will be enforced and the response to any violations.
Under the terms of the agreement both the Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Opposition are being asked to agree to a cessation of hostilities. However the truce does not apply to either Islamic State, Nusra Front or any other terrorist group as stated by the U.N Security Council.
After weeks of talks between world powers The White House has confirmed that President Obama had phoned the Kremlin at the request of Putin to discuss efforts surrounding a ceasefire in the war-torn country.
‘’A phone call between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin, at Putin’s request had in fact taken place. With plans around arriving at an understanding of cessation of hostilities in Syria,’’ a spokesman from the US State Department confirmed last Monday.
After the phone call a joint Russian-US statement was released.
The statement declared that the truce was set to begin at midnight on Friday 27 February, Damascus time, however was still subject to both the Syrian government and Syrian opposition formally agreeing to the deal by the deadline at midday Friday.
Participants of the ceasefire are then obligated to cease attacks with any weapons, including rockets, mortars, and anti tank guided missiles and also refrain from acquiring or seeking to acquire territory from any other parties to the ceasefire.
According to the White House, Obama’s main emphasis during the phone call with Putin was on the need to ensure that both Syria’s government and opposition groups faithfully implemented the deal. However the five-page plan released by the U.S State Department leaves open how violation of the cease-fire will be dealt with.
Moscow and Washington are expected to now work together, exchanging intelligence such as information on those who have agreed to the ceasefire and their location. As a consequence both countries will now concentrate their collective firepower on those jihadist groups who fall outside of the ceasefire.
More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the bloody civil war, which began in March 2011, with millions of others being forced from their homes, all whilst growing numbers have fled the country.
Last Sunday it is reported that at least 140 have been killed in bomb blasts carried out by Islamic State in the Syrian cities of Homs and Damascus.