France calls for UN observers in East Aleppo

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

France wants United Nations observers to supervise the evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Aleppo and prevent the killing of opposition rebels, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Wednesday.

Ayrault cited uncertainty and "total confusion" on the ground surrounding the evacuation process.

"France demands [the presence of ] UN observers to have a guarantee that the evacuation of civilians is a priority but also so that the rebels are not massacred," Ayrault told France 2 television.

"Humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross and UNICEF must also be able to intervene," the minister added.

As a result of a Turkish mediation, the cease-fire took into effect as of 7.00 p.m. local time (1700GMT) on Tuesday.

Under the deal, civilians trapped in the conflict-hit zone will be moved via buses to the western part of Aleppo. Opposition fighters would be evacuated after the civilians.

The past couple of days have seen the Russia-backed Assad regime re-establish control over parts of Aleppo captured four years ago by armed opposition groups.

Numerous civilians were killed by Syrian regime forces in opposition-held areas in eastern Aleppo in the past two days,

Since mid-November, more than 1,130 civilians have been killed in eastern Aleppo in attacks by Syrian regime and Russian warplanes, according to local sources.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which had erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the conflict and millions more displaced.