Amid escalating violence in Syria, UN has decided to end its observer mission in the strife-torn country after failed international attempts to broker a cease-fire between the forces of Bashar al-Assad and the opposition.
"The mission will come to an end on midnight on Sunday," Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmund Mulet said after briefing the 15-member United Nations Security Council on the future of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) and the letter of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposing a continued UN presence in the form of a liaison office.
As fighting rages on in Syria, the Council agreed that conditions have not been met to continue the UN mission.
"In the meantime, we're working with our colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs to prepare the ground in Damascus to establish this liaison office," Mulet added.
An estimated 17,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began about 17 months ago. In the previous two weeks, there have been reports of an escalation in violence in many towns and villages, as well as the country's two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
Initially set up in April for 90 days, UNSMIS' mandate was extended for another 30 days in late July by a UNSC resolution which indicated that further renewals to UNSMIS' mandate would be possible only if it could be confirmed that the use of heavy weapons had ceased and a reduction in violence by all sides was sufficient to allow the mission to implement its mandate.
With the 30-day extension, the mission's mandate is set to expire on Sunday.