Federal Government condemns escalation in and around Aleppo

Commenting on reports of an escalation in the fighting in and around Aleppo and on the air strike on a Civil Defence centre, a Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement in Berlin on 26 April:

Zusatzinformationen

For some days we have been observing what appears to be a deliberate military escalation in and around Aleppo. This is the result primarily of the continuing air strikes and artillery attacks by the Syrian army, but Jihadist groups like Jabhat al‑Nusra are also involved.

It appears that a Civil Defence (“White Helmets”) centre in al‑Atarib, west of Aleppo, was completely destroyed by an air strike this morning. Five civil defence workers died. The Federal Government condemns these continuing attacks against the civilian population in the strongest possible terms.

It must be clear to all sides that, in the current situation, this military escalation in Aleppo (and elsewhere) poses an existential threat to the political process. We urgently call on the Syrian regime and all other parties to the conflict to comply across the country with the ceasefire in force since 27 February.

Background information:

A ceasefire brokered between the opposition and the regime (except the IS and al‑Nusra Front) by the United States and Russia has been in place since 27 February. At first the ceasefire largely held, albeit with a few violations, thus paving the way for the political talks in Geneva. Since the middle of April, however, there has been a clear increase in the number of ceasefire violations, particularly by the Syrian regime. Fighting has broken out again along almost the whole of the front line, and is concentrated in particular on Aleppo and the surrounding area. There have also been repeated attacks on the civilian population.

from
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2016/160426_Syrien.html?nn=479796