UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — On Sunday, the UN Security Council convened for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation in Aleppo, where the Syrian government forces are carrying out an offensive against Jabhat Fatah al Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front and the so-called armed opposition groups.
"No I am not [going to resign]. Because any sign of me resigning would be a signal that the international community is abandoning the Syrians, and we will not abandon the Syrians, and neither will you. We don’t need that kind of signal that would make news for five minutes and then not only Syria would be abandoned by everyone but also the hope that the international community does believe that we want to get out of the conflict," de Mistura said addressing an UN Security Council meeting.
The latest round of intra-Syrian talks collapsed in April in Geneva when members of the Syrian High Negotiations Committee walked away from negotiations, citing the failure of the Syrian government to commit to reconciliation process.
The latest cessation of hostilities in Syria was brokered by the United States and Russia under the auspices of the ISSG. After being implemented on September 12, the deal broke apart with repeated violations of the ceasefire from all sides.
Fighting in Aleppo intensified after the Syrian army declared an end to the week-long ceasefire on Friday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that Aleppo had faced the most intense airstrikes since the start of the Syrian conflict, expressing dismay at the situation and the fate of civilians trapped in the city.
