Church leader hopes for credible UN mission to Syria

The Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo in Syria has expressed his hope for the restoration of peace as UN monitors tour the country.

Monsignor Giuseppe Nazzaro told Fides news agency that he wanted the UN Mission of Observers to be “credible” and “fair”.

“We call on all warring parties to accept the UN observers, who come without any special interests, and to facilitate their work,” he said.

“We hope that no one is afraid of their work.”

UN observers are in the country to oversee a ceasefire brokered by Kofi Annan to bring an end to the conflict.

They spent Sunday touring the suburbs of Damascus and the town of Madaya, around 19 miles away.

In Madaya, the group of observers received reports from locals that members of the army have opened fire on civilians during demonstrations against Bashar al-Assad.

Syrians are heading to the polls today in what the government has described as the first multiparty parliamentary elections in half a century. The vote is being boycotted by the opposition.

Mgr Nazzaro said the people of Syria were suffering as a result of the conflict and increasing poverty.

He called on the different sides to give peace “a real chance”.