UN envoy to meet Syria rebels in southeast Turkey over Aleppo ceasefire
BEIRUT - Agence France-Presse
Italian UN envoy Staffan de Mistura waves during a press conference in Damascus on Nov. 11. AFP Photo
The U.N.'s envoy to Syria will meet in Turkey with rebel leaders from Aleppo to discuss a possible freeze in fighting in the war-torn city, his spokeswoman said on Dec. 7.Staffan de Mistura "will travel very soon to Gaziantep (in Turkey) to discuss his plan with key rebel groups from Aleppo," Juliette Touma told AFP. She did not specify when exactly the talks would place.
De Mistura has been pushing efforts for local ceasefires in parts of Syria to lay the groundwork for peace talks to resolve the country's devastating civil war.
He announced his plan to press for what he called a "freeze" in fighting in late October, after years of failed efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
President Bashar al-Assad has said he is willing to discuss the plan and Aleppo, which has been divided into rebel- and regime-held territory since July 2012, has been cited as a possible starting point.
Touma said that after the talks in Gaziantep, De Mistura would travel to Istanbul to follow up on political efforts with opposition members.