Amid growing concerns about the crisis in Syria, world leaders have reacted to the sudden by predictable fall of the long-serving Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has reportedly fled his country after the blistering capture of the capital, Damascus.
The opposition fighters stunned the world as the Syrian army was unable to hold ground against rebel forces dominated by Islamist elements allegedly backed by yet-to-be-identified countries, which marks a historic turning point for the beleaguered country.
After capturing Damascus, the rebels declared that the country has been “liberated”.
They announced that President Assad has fled the country as celebrations erupted in Damascus and other parts of the country, including along the border with neighbouring Lebanon, where many displaced Syrians want to go back home.
Assad had battled to stay in power amid 13 years of bloody war which led to the killing of thousands of Syrians while many others were displaced.
This spectacular opposition victory has ended the Assad dynasty which has ruled the country for over half a century.
US President Joe Biden in a statement released by the White House on Sunday said, “President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners.”
United Nations envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen said, “What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this. And that political way needs to be very different from what it has been before, it needs to be a process that is inclusive of everyone, and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore its sovereignty and its territory. There are lots of wounds that need to be healed.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani for his part said, “I am following with concerned attention the evolution of the situation in Syria. I am in constant contact with our embassy in Damascus and with the office of the Prime Minister. I have called an emergency meeting at 10:30am at the Foreign Ministry”, Tajani said on X.
US President-elect Donald Trump in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, said al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.
“There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.”
A statement from the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs “calls on all concerned parties to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence, to avert further casualties and deaths of civilians.
“We express concern regarding the situation of our Filipinos in Syria and advise them to take the necessary precautions and stay in contact with the Philippine Embassy in Damascus.”
