US calls on its citizens to leave Syria

CAIRO – 16 December 2024: The US State Department urged American citizens to leave Syria, stressing that the security situation in Syria remains volatile and unpredictable.

Russia has also evacuated some of its diplomats out of the Syrian capital Damascus while its embassy continues functioning, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The diplomats were transported by a Russian Aerospace Forces flight from the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria to Moscow, the ministry said in a statement.

The flight also carried diplomats from Belarus and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it added.

The Syrian government crumbled on December 8, as Bashar Al-Assad, who clung to power through 14 years of civil war, fled Damascus, and insurgents took control of the capital, days after a surprise offensive that shocked the world.

Today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future, UN News quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres as saying.

The secretary-general renewed his call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time, while protecting the rights of all Syrians, without distinction. He also noted that the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law.

“We will need the support of the international community to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity,” Guterres said and underscored that: “Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored.”

“We remain committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity are shared realities for all. This is the path to sustainable peace in Syria,” concluded the secretary-general.