United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there were signs of hope in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad by rebel forces over the weekend.
“As we speak, we are witnessing the reshaping of the Middle East. ... We also see some signs of hope, and signs of hope namely coming from the end of the Assad rule,” Guterres said during a visit to South Africa on Wednesday.
Guterres said after meeting South African foreign minister Ronald Lamola in the capital Pretoria that the United Nations was committed to a smooth transition of power in Syria.
“It’s our duty to do everything to support different Syrian leaders in order to make sure that they come together, they are able to guarantee a smooth transition, an inclusive transition in which all Syrians can feel that they belong,” Guterres told reporters. “The alternative doesn’t make any sense.”
Guterres said the toppling of Assad was “a sign of hope” after 50 years of rule by his family and nearly 13 years of civil war.
