Syria ceasefire goes into effect under Kofi Annan’s plan

A ceasefire has gone into effect in Syria in line with a peace plan proposed by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan in efforts to bring an end to more than a year of turmoil in the country.

The ceasefire came into effect at 6:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Thursday. It was part of the six-point plan Annan proposed to Damascus in March.

Kofi Annan said on Wednesday that he had received a written pledge from the Syrian foreign ministry to “cease all military fighting throughout the Syrian territory as of 6:00 a.m. tomorrow (0300 GMT).”

The Syrian government, however, has issued a warning that security forces would “respond proportionately to any attacks carried out by armed terrorist groups against civilians, government forces or public and private property.”

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on April 10, “We have already withdrawn forces and army units from several Syrian provinces.”

The Syrian foreign minister also stated “despite all these positive measures we noticed on a daily basis the escalation of opposition by the armed terrorist gangs.”

Annan has called for an end to the unrest in Syria with “no preconditions.”

On April 8, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said Kofi Annan had not presented “written guarantees” that armed gangs would accept to halt violence in the country.

Head of the so-called Free Syrian Army Riyadh al-Asaad claimed hours after the Foreign Ministry statement was issued that the armed group will present its guarantees and commitments to “the international community, but not to this (Syrian) regime.”

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on March 6 that the Syrian people have “proven their capacity to defend the nation and to build a new Syria through their determination to pursue reforms along with the fight against foreign-backed terrorism.”