Equipo Nizkor - UNSC S/2016/387 - Information by the High Negotiations Committee for the Syrian National Coalition on two massacres of civilians perpetrated on 23Apr16 by the Assad regime.

United Nations
Security Council

S/2016/387

Distr.: General
28 April 2016
Original: English

Letter dated 26 April 2016 from the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to transmit to you a letter dated 25 April 2016 from the Special Representative of the Syrian National Coalition to the United Nations, Najib Ghadbian (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would circulate the present letter and its annex as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Abdallah Al-Mouallimi
Permanent Representative

Annex to the letter dated 26 April 2016 from the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

On behalf of the High Negotiations Committee for the Syrian National Coalition to the United Nations and as requested by the General Coordinator of the Committee, Riad Hijab, it is my honour to transmit to you a letter dated 25 April 2016 from Mr. Hijab regarding the massacres that took place in Duma and Aleppo on 23 April (see enclosure).

(Signed) Najib Ghadbian
Special Representative of the Syrian National Coalition
to the United Nations

Enclosure

[Original: Arabic]

Please find enclosed preliminary information on two horrifying massacres of civilians that were perpetrated on Saturday, 23 April 2016, by the forces of the criminal Assad regime and its allied sectarian militias, with Iranian and Russian support. The massacres occurred in Duma in eastern Ghutah and Tariq al-Bab in Aleppo. Initial casualty estimates are 30 defenceless civilians killed and 55 injured, most of them in critical condition (see appendices I and II).

The fragile cessation of hostilities agreement is now in its fifty-eighth day. The criminal regime and its allies not only continue to violate that agreement, but have stepped up the pace of violations and increased attacks against civilians and opposition groups that are party to that agreement.

The High Negotiations Committee agreed in good faith to take part in the political process with a view to finding a solution to the Syrian crisis and bringing about a political transition, as called for in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). That resolution was based on the 2012 Geneva Communique, which envisioned a transitional political process starting with the formation of a transitional governing body with full powers to administer the country during the transitional phase, establish security and ensure continuity of governmental institutions.

Agreement has already been reached on the humanitarian requirements set out in paragraphs 12, 13 and 14 of resolution 2254 (2015). Those requirements are not negotiable, but are rather legal commitments that must be carried out in order to pave the way for launching the political process. The same is true of the cessation of hostilities agreement, which was agreed to in order to achieve the following goals: facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach areas; lifting the blockade of besieged areas; releasing detainees; and putting an end to the policy of starvation being implemented by the regime and its allies against defenceless civilians, which leads to dozens of deaths daily and is intended to displace people from their cities and towns as part of the demographic change being engineered by the regime and its allies.

In fact, there has been a deterioration in the humanitarian situation, little progress in assistance delivery, a continuation of the blockade, an increase in the number of victims of that blockade, and an increase in violations committed through the use of thermobaric missiles, barrel bombs and various other types of weapons. All this raises doubts as to whether there is a sincere desire to maintain the agreement and continue with the political process, which is already fraught with ambiguity and doubt, and the resumption of which is further impeded under the circumstances described above, especially given the significant increase in the numbers of persons killed, detained and forcibly disappeared since the launching of the political process.

We reiterate yet again our call on the Security Council to live up to its responsibilities by intervening immediately to implement resolutions 2254 (201 5) and 2268 (2016), and to prevent efforts to circumvent the provisions of those resolutions and derail the political process.

We also call for the regime and its allies to be held responsible for the serious consequences of the deteriorating situation on the ground. Efforts must be made to improve the situation on the ground in order to ensure continuation of the political process.

(Signed) Riad Hijab
General Coordinator, High Negotiations Committee

Appendix I

The Duma massacre

Some 15 persons were killed at a public market in the city of Duma in eastern Ghutah when the market was attacked by regime forces. Regime forces attacked the heart of the market with heavy artillery and mortars at 10.30 a.m., killing and injuring dozens.

Number of dead: 15
Number of injured: 30

The following victims' names are known:

1. Mahmud Hawi Abu Subhi;
2. Bilal Sarawil;
3. Hadi Shaykh Ibrahim;
4. A victim from the Najjar family;
5. Zahir Siwan;
6. Muhammad Buwaydani;
7. Majid Salim Malih;
8. An infant named Mawaddah Khalil Dawud;
9. Su'ad Salim Qashu';
10. Fatimah Salim Tum;
11. Ayman Qaddurah;
12. Unidentified victim;
13. Fatmah Kahhal;
14. Rawdah Ghazzawi, daughter of Fatmah Kahhal;
15. Unnamed victim, son of Rawdah Azzawi.

Video links:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8SmMF5FSmc0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCgUvkEaf8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0JtAkh7pDg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLaPQ2Ctcg8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9wa6iZmEPA

Truce violation template

1. Governorate, region or neighbourhood attacked:
Duma, Rif Dimashq

2. Exact time of attack or violation (day, hour, minute):
Saturday, 16 April 2016 at 10.30 a.m.

3. Party suspected of committing the violation:
Regime forces

4. Number of sorties by warplanes (no bombing):
None

5. Target of the attack:
Public market

6. Number of dead (civilian or military):
15, including 2 children and 3 women

7. Number of injured (civilian or military):
30

8. Weapons used:
Heavy artillery and mortars

9. Number of homes or buildings attacked:
Market, shops and nearby homes

10. Primary source of information:
Damascus and Rif Dimashq media network

11. Other information:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8SmMF5FSmc0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCgUvkEaf8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0JtAkh7pDg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLaPQ2Ctcg8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9wa6iZmEPA

Appendix II

The Tariq al-Bab, Aleppo massacre

According to an initial count, some 12 persons were killed and dozens injured in the wake of three air attacks by Assad's warplanes on a public market in the Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood of Aleppo.

Number of dead: 12
Number of injured: 25

The following victims' names are known:

1. Zakariyah Abulsalam, 9 months old;
2. Kamal Salibi, 27 years old;
3. Muhammad Zahid Abdullah, 26 years old;
4. Khalid Hanun, 30 years old;
5. Muhammad Jum'ah Asali, 23 years old;
6. Ashan Abbud, 21 years old.
The names of victims 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are not known.

Video links:
youtu.be/mwXxem-LyWk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re3Oyk94Dr0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye2P2Ydr9V0

Truce violation template

1. Governorate, region or neighbourhood attacked:
Tariq al-Bab, Aleppo

2. Exact time of attack or violation (day, hour, minute):
Saturday, 23 April 2016 at 11 a.m.

3. Party suspected of committing the violation:
Regime forces

4. Number of sorties by warplanes (no bombing):
None

5. Target of the attack:
Public market

6. Number of dead (civilian or military):
12 civilians

7. Number of injured (civilian or military):
25 civilians

8. Weapons used:
Warplanes (three raids)

9. Number of homes or buildings attacked:
Market

10. Primary source of information:
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

11. Other information:
youtu.be/mwXxem-LyWk

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28Apr16

Information by the High Negotiations Committee for the Syrian National Coalition on two massacres of civilians perpetrated on 23Apr16 by the Assad regime