Chief Syria opposition negotiator quits as peace talks stall

The regime of President Bashar Al Assad and non-extremist rebels agreed a shaky ceasefire in February to bolster the peace talks but repeated violations have left the truce hanging by a thread.

Mohammed Alloush, Chief negotiator for the main Syrian opposition body, rebel group Army of Islam and member of High Negotiations Committee, has announced his resignation.  Jean-Christophe Bott / EPA
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BEIRUT // The Syrian opposition’s chief negotiator in UN-brokered peace talks has announced his resignation, branding the stalled Geneva negotiations a failure on both the security and humanitarian fronts.

“The three rounds of talks were unsuccessful because of the stubbornness of the regime and its continued bombardments and aggressions towards the Syrian people,” Mohammed Alloush, a member of the Saudi-backed rebel group Jaish Al Islam (Army of Islam), tweeted on Sunday.

The regime of president Bashar Al Assad and non-extremist rebels agreed a shaky ceasefire in February to bolster the peace talks but repeated violations have left the truce hanging by a thread.

The last round of peace talks in Geneva reached a deadlock in April when the main opposition High Negotiations Committee suspended its participation over an escalation of fighting on the ground.

A new round of talks had been expected for the end of May, but no new date has been announced.

* Agence France-Presse