More than a decade after its expulsion, Syria is allowed to rejoin the Arab League. The foreign ministers of the member states passed a corresponding resolution in Cairo, which apparently contains several conditions.
The foreign ministers of the Arab countries have decided to return Syria to the Arab League. That said Gamal Ruschdi, spokesman for the Secretary General of the organization.
The Arab League suspended the Assad government’s membership in 2011 because of its violent crackdown on its own people. Syrian government troops had violently put down protests in the country at the time.
The uprisings developed into a war that is still ongoing today, in which more than 350,000 people lost their lives. More than 14 million people have been displaced by the fighting, 6.8 million of them in their own country. According to the UN, more than 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
New constellations make agreement possible
Analysts also see the re-admission to the Arab League as a consequence of the recently improved relations between the regional superpowers Saudi Arabia and Iran, which have been enemies for many years. In March, the two states, mediated by China, announced that they wanted to resume diplomatic relations.
The fact that the rulers in Saudi Arabia, who have long supported the Syrian opposition, are now accepting Assad again in the Arab League is seen as a concession towards Iran, which is a close ally of Assad. In return, compromises are likely to emerge in the Yemen war and other regional conflicts.
hope for political solutions
A political solution is the “only way” to reach an agreement, said Egypt’s Foreign Minister Samih Schukri at the opening of the meeting in Cairo. Intervention by foreign states would have exacerbated the crisis in Syria. The main responsibility for a solution lies with the government in Damascus. Together with allies, this now controls about 70 percent of the fragmented war country.
Media reports of conditions
According to reports from the news channel Al-Arabija and the Emirati newspaper “The National”, the move is subject to several conditions. Syria should therefore be obliged to resume talks with the opposition about a new constitution and to pave the way for elections.
In addition, the government should enable refugees to return and cross-border humanitarian aid and curb drug smuggling into neighboring countries. In return, the Arab countries want to provide financial support for reconstruction in Syria and persuade allied states to withdraw from Syria.
Around 20 countries currently belong to the Arab League. The association, founded in 1945, has set itself the goal of strengthening relations between the Arab countries, coordinating their policies and protecting the sovereignty of the states.
With information from Anna Osius, ARD studio Cairo