The eighth round of UN-sponsored talks on Syria since 2012 is set to get underway in Geneva, though the Assad regime has not yet named a delegation. Talks hosted by Russia have led to hopes there may be a breakthrough.
Image: Getty Images/United Nation Relief and Works Agency
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The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he would "not accept any preconditions by any party" for the talks set to start in Geneva on Tuesday. He said the talks would be guided by a 2015 Security Council resolution mandating a political transition for Syria.
By Monday evening, the eve of the talks, the Syrian government had not officially named its delegation. The pro-government newspaper Al-Watan claimed there was a "hidden condition" for the talks from the Syrian opposition that President Bashar al-Assad step down at the start of any transitional period. The newspaper said the Damascus government would delay its arrival in Geneva.
De Mistura said he expected the Syrian government's participation "particularly in light of President Assad's commitment to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin when they met in Sochi." The envoy told the Security Council via videoconference on Monday: "Last night, we received a message that the government would not travel to Geneva today," but he added: "Naturally we hope and indeed expect that the government will be on its way shortly."
Airstrikes over Arbin in Eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus in NovemberImage: picture-alliance/abaca
Russia's key hand
Russia remains a key sponsor of the Damascus government and President Vladimir Putin held a series of meetings with relevant parties in Sochi last week. De Mistura was reported to have met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said Moscow was working with Riyadh to unify the Syrian opposition, on Friday.
Meetings between Syrian opposition groups and de Mistura's team of negotiators are to begin on Tuesday and will focus on getting to an "inclusive process" to draft and ratify a new constitution, De Mistura said.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
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Syria opposition changes negotiator
The opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) appointed a new chief negotiator in Nasr Hariri during its meetings held in Saudi Arabia last week. He replaces the hardline Riyad Hijab who had led the HNC at previous talks in Geneva, but abruptly resigned last week amid reports that his committee had come under pressure to make concessions favoring the Syrian president.
In Syria itself, opposition activists accused Russia of carrying out an airstrike in the east of the country on Sunday which killed 25 civilians in a village held by the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) group. DeirEzzor 24 activists said Sunday's strike was on the village of Shaafa.
