The Arab League halted its mission of observation in Syria on Saturday, criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for the increase in violence that claimed some 80 lives over the weekend.

The Arab League mission has been in Syria for the last month to oversee the implementation of a peace plan.

League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement that the organization decided to temporarily halt the observation mission because of the increasing violence, until the League's council can meet to decide the mission's fate.

"Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the continued use of violence ... it has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," he said.

UN resolution now 'more urgent'

Elaraby's deputy, Ahmed Ben Heli, told reporters that the around 100 observers will remain in Damascus while their mission is "re-evaluated."

The Arab League's plan for transition to a unity government has thus far been rejected by Damascus, saying that it violates the country's sovereignty.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement on Saturday that a "clear reaction" from the UN Security Council was now "even more urgent."

He said the draft resolution worked out by European and Arab states was "a good basis for a decisive condemnation of the violence by the Syrian regime."

The United Nations estimates that some 5,400 people, including at least 384 children, have been killed over the past 11 months of unrest in Syria.

Author: Stuart Tiffen (AP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler