The foreign-sponsored opposition figures and militant forces in Syria have rejected a proposal by the UN special envoy for Syria, which seeks to suspend fighting in the Arab country’s embattled northern city of Aleppo.
"We refuse to meet with Mr. Staffan de Mistura (the UN envoy) if it is not on the basis of a comprehensive solution to Syria's drama through the exit of (President) Bashar al-Assad and his chief of staff," Aleppo's opposition council said in a statement on Sunday.
De Mistura arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday, hoping ‘to set in motion as soon as possible his project” to halt the skirmishes in Aleppo, located 355 kilometers (220 miles) north of the Syrian capital, for six weeks.
The 68-year-old diplomat has been pushing for a local ceasefire in Aleppo as the foundation for the building of a broader peace settlement for Syria.
The UN envoy has met Syrian government officials and opposition figures during the recent weeks to discuss his plans with them.
