Syrian opposition has not won the war, insists UN envoy

The UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said on Wednesday that the Syrian opposition has not won the war against Bashar Al-Assad. Speaking to reporters, he added that while the Syrian opposition “must accept it has failed to win the civil war… the government cannot simply announce victory.”

According to de Mistura, “For the opposition, the message is very clear: if they were planning to win the war, facts are proving that is not the case. So now it is time to win the peace.”

Asked if he was implying that Assad had won, he said that he is not the one who records the history of the conflict. “Victory can only be if there is a sustainable political long-term solution. Otherwise instead of war, God forbid, we may see plenty of low intensity guerrilla activity going on for the next 10 years, and you will see no reconstruction, which is a very sad outcome of winning a war.”

Read: 32 people killed under torture in Syria in August