UN Secretary General: Our Task Supports Different Syrian Leaders To Unite, Guarantees Smooth Transition

JAKARTA - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there were signs of hope in Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by rebel forces over the weekend.

Syrian insurgent groups launched attacks on a number of areas of the country in late November, with the peak success of controlling the capital Damascus last Sunday, bringing the government of President Bashar al-Assad to collapse.

That's after the civil war over the past 13 years. Syria is one of the most repressive police countries in the Middle East during the five decades of Assad's family administration.

"As we speak, we witness the re-establishment of the Middle East. We also see some signs of hope, and signs of hope come mainly from the end of the Syrian dictatorship," Secretary General Guterres said during a visit to South Africa on Wednesday.

Secretary General Guterres added that the United Nations is committed to a smooth transition of power in Syria.

"It is our job to do everything in order to support different Syrian leaders to ensure that they unite, they can guarantee a smooth, inclusive transition in which all Syrian citizens can feel that they belong," Secretary General Guterres told reporters.

"Other alternatives make no sense," he said.

Previously, rebel leaders and the prime minister of the Syrian government overturned agreeing to hand over power, coordinating to ensure services to the community.

A video shared by the rebels on Monday showed the leader of the main rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and Prime Minister of Innovation Government linked to HTS, Mohammed al-Bashir, meeting with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali who will step down.

The rebels said the meeting aimed at "coordinating the transfer of power in a way ensuring the provision of services to our people in Syria," CNN quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, PM Jalali told Al Arabiya TV he had agreed to hand over power to the Conservation Government. He stated that the handover of power could take several days.

It is known that the United Nations opposes all forms of attacks on Syria, along with the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government, when Israel attacked a number of military targets in various cities in Syria.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday the United Nations opposed any form of violation of the integrity of Syrian territory, when asked about Israel's attack on its neighboring country.

Israel launched attacks on Syrian military targets, including strategic weapons to military facilities in a wave of attacks after rebel groups entered Damascus and toppled President Assad on weekends.