Bashar al-Assad greets Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (right) and Tunisian President Qais Said (left) in Saudi Arabia Photo: SANA/AFP/Getty Images
Arab leaders greeted Bashar al-Assad on Friday as regional powers discussed a deal that could send millions of refugees back to Syria.
Assad, a global pariah for a string of human rights violations during a brutal civil war, attended the Arab League summit in Riyadh for the first time in a decade.
In a clear sign that many Arab leaders want to radically change position on the regime, the Syrian leader also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
However, shortly before Assad was due to address the summit, the Qatari representative left in apparent protest.
“I hope this marks the beginning of a new phase of Arab solidarity actions between us, for peace in our region, development and prosperity instead of war and destruction,” Assad said. it was hoped that the summit would mark «the beginning of a new phase of Arab action in the name of solidarity and peace in our region». Credit: SAUDI PRESS AGENCY
This comes amid reports that Arab states want to normalize ties with Assad in a deal that will send Syrian refugees back to the war-torn country.
The plan, which was drawn up last month at a meeting of foreign ministers, also aims to persuade the West to ease damaging sanctions on Syria and stop its illegal drug trade.
An estimated five million Syrian refugees were moved to five neighboring countries: Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Another six million Syrians have been internally displaced, and an estimated one million are in Europe, mostly in Germany.
Syrian refugees are increasingly mistreated and considered undesirable in some countries in the Middle East, especially Turkey, which has often promised to send them back.
The scheme has been discussed at the «highest levels» at the UN, sources told The Financial Times.
With the UK, like much of the European Union, still vehemently opposed to the Assad regime, it is unlikely that she would take part in such a scheme.
After a decade shunned by the Arab world, Assad has visited the United Arab Emirates and Oman in recent months as part of a broader effort to normalize the Damascus regime. .jpg» /> Syrians protest in the city of Idlib against Assad's presence at the summit. Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images
When it was announced that Assad would be allowed back into the Arab League, Western officials reacted with dismay as they remain committed to maintaining tough sanctions on Syria.
As recently as last month, Britain imposed sanctions on four Syrians. , including relatives of Assad and two Lebanese citizens involved in the production and trafficking of amphetamine Captagon.
The diplomatic campaign to normalize Assad is led by Saudi Arabia and to some extent the United Arab Emirates, which reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018 , which is one of the first signs that a deal is underway.
Human rights groups and Middle Eastern analysts were shocked by the scenes of Assad's arrival at the summit in Saudi Arabia.
“A man against whom international accusers have more evidence than against Hitler & many Middle Eastern leaders welcome the Nazi Party with open arms,” said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute think tank.
Christian Benedict, Amnesty International, UK; The Crisis Response Manager said: «Saudi Arabia and the UAE may think they are planning to 'rehabilitate' Bashar al-Assad, but the efforts of Syrian human rights defenders to hold him and his officials accountable for crimes against humanity are like that.» It won't stop now.
“Over the past 12 years, Assad has turned Syria into a slaughterhouse of barrel bombings, mass torture and state assassinations, and it would be an absolute travesty if he were allowed to escape justice. hiding behind the attributes of international «respectability».
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