GENEVA — A U.S.-Russia-brokered cease-fire in Syria, in its sixth day Thursday, is largely holding despite sporadic clashes in some areas, a U.N. envoy said, raising expectations ahead of next week’s planned resumption of Geneva peace talks.
Staffan de Mistura spoke as he convened a group monitoring the truce amid hopes of a breakthrough that could pave the way for regular humanitarian aid deliveries to remote and besieged areas that have been cut off by the fighting.
It was the third meeting of the task force of the International Syria Support Group, made up of world and regional powers under U.S. and Russian leadership, which is monitoring the “cessation of hostilities” that began on Saturday.
De Mistura said the cease-fire has “greatly reduced” violence in Syria and laid out hopes of resuming peace talks between Syrian sides in the conflict. The talks were called off last month after a spike in fighting.
“In general, the cessation has been holding,” he said, speaking alongside his humanitarian aid adviser Jan Egeland. “Unfortunately, we have to admit … there are still a number of places where fighting has continued,” though it has been contained.
The situation is “fragile, success is not guaranteed, but progress has been visible,” the envoy concluded.
The cease-fire has become the most promising initiative in years to help end a five-war that has killed at least 250,000 people, driven millions of Syrians to flee the country, and given an opening to militants such as the extremist Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, as Syria’s al-Qaida branch is known, to seize large swaths of land.
The two militant factions and other extremist groups designated terrorist organizations by the United Nations are not included in the diplomatic initiatives.
De Mistura, a veteran Swedish diplomat who has become U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s point man on Syria, appeared to ease back from a recent statement that he hopes to convene intra-Syrian talks — between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s envoys and representatives of the so-called moderate opposition — in the Swiss city next Wednesday.
While he had set a “penciled date” for next Wednesday for those “proximity talks,” de Mistura acknowledged logistical issues, such as few Geneva hotel rooms available amid an auto show. Some envoys could show up as late as March 14, he said.
Meanwhile, Egeland said there has been progress in aid shipments to besieged cities across Syria. “In the last two weeks, 236 trucks have served 115,000 people,” he said.
But he also warned of snags in getting enough trucks in place as well as difficulties in winning approvals from Syrian government officials, who have at times stripped out badly needed medical supplies from convoys.
Egeland said U.N. officials had received “indications” that there will be “a much simplified system” for gaining approvals to ship in aid, including a monthly schedule.
The Syrian cease-fire and the humanitarian situation were on tap for discussion at a meeting of foreign ministers from France, Germany and Britain in Paris today, the French government said.
In London, Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said the leaders of Russia, Germany, Britain and France were planning to speak today about ways to shore up the Syria cease-fire.
