Bloodshed in Syria as ceasefire fails

Despite a ceasefire on 12 April, the Syrian regime has continued its offensive against rebel positions in Idlib, Homs and Daraa. At least 77 people have been killed over the past two days in these areas in incident that clearly highlight the contempt with which the Syrian government view the international community – it also starkly underscores the UN’s inability to enforce change in the country due to the continued veto of Russia and China to stringent sanctions regimens. Rebels meanwhile appear to have halted offensive operations (whether they had these in the first place is questionable) and seem to be waiting for better days. Sunni extremists also continue to flood the country from Iraq and Jordan. The outlook for Syria remains largely negative. While UN observers were deployed to the country on 15 April these elements remain in Damascus, an area that has experienced very little conflict. It remains to be seen whether they will be allowed to move to Homs and Idlib in the north. Given recent precedent (Arab League monitoring mission in early 2012) the regime is unlikely to allow any outsiders into conflict prone areas until it has fully sanitised dissident hotspots.