Pope Francis has expressed that he hopes a “political solution can be reached” in Syria “creating stability and unity in the country.”
The pontiff said this Wednesday (11) that he was praying that the Syrian population “live in peace and security in their homeland and that different religions can walk together in friendship, in mutual respect for their country, which has been afflicted for many years of war.”
In 2017, the leader of the Catholic Church donated 100,000 euros to the city of Aleppo to use to help those in need in war-torn Syria.
The Arab country was ruled for 50 years by the Assad family and dominated by a civil war since 2011, before rebel groups invaded the northwest of the territory and took control of the capital Damascus on Sunday (8).
Understand the conflict in Syria
The Assad family regime was overthrown in Syria on December 8, after 50 years in power, when rebel groups took over the capital Damascus.
President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and is in Moscow after gaining asylum, according to a source in Russia.
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to combat the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
This content was originally published in Pope calls for “stability and unity” after the deposition of Bashar al-Assad in Syria on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
