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| Houla victims' mass grave |
The UN Security Council issued the following press statement overnight,
which was read by Council President Agshin Mehdiyev (Azerbaijan):
“The members of the
Security Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the killings,
confirmed by United Nations observers, of dozens of men, women and children and
the wounding of hundreds more in the village of El-Houleh,
near Homs, in attacks that involved a series of Government artillery and
tank shellings on a residential neighborhood. The members of the Security
Council also condemned the killing of civilians by shooting at close range and
by severe physical abuse. The members of the Security Council extended their
profound sympathies and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and
underscored their grave concern about the situation of civilians in Syria.
Such outrageous use of
force against civilian population constitutes a violation of applicable
international law and of the commitments of the Syrian Government under United
Nations Security Council resolutions 2042 (2012) and 2043 (2012) to cease
violence in all its forms, including the cessation of use of heavy weapons in
population centers. The members of the Security Council reiterated that all
violence in all its forms by all parties must cease. Those
responsible for acts of violence must be held accountable. The members of
the Security Council requested the Secretary-General, with the involvement of
UNSMIS [United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria], to continue to
investigate these attacks and report the findings to the Security Council.
The members of the
Security Council demanded that the Government of Syria immediately cease the
use of heavy weapons in population centers and immediately pull back its troops
and its heavy weapons from in and around population centers and return them to
their barracks.
The members of the
Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty,
independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and to the purposes and
principles of the Charter.
The
members of the Security Council reiterated their full support to the efforts of
the Joint Special Envoy for the implementation of his six-point plan in its
entirety and requested him to convey in the clearest terms to the Syrian
parties, and in particular the Syrian Government, the demands of the Security
Council.”
