UN calls for free and fair elections in Syria

The UN envoy to Syria called on Wednesday for "free and fair" elections after the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad, as he voiced hope for a political solution for Kurdish-held areas.Assad fled Syria following a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated one of the deadliest wars of the century.He left behind a country scarred by decades of torture, disappearances and summary executions, and the collapse of his rule on December 8 stunned the world and sparked celebrations around Syria and beyond.Years of civil war have also left the country heavily dependent on aid, deeply fragmented and desperate for justice and peace.Addressing reporters in Damascus, UN special envoy Geir Pedersen said "there is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria". and that we will have free and fair elections when that time comes, after a transitional period," he said.Calling for immediate humanitarian assistance, he also said he hoped to see an end to international sanctions levied against Syria over Assad's abuses.UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called for a massive aid boost by donor countries to respond to "this moment of hope" for Syria. "Pedersen said a key challenge was the situation in Kurdish-held areas in Syria's northeast, amid fears of a major escalation between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkey-backed groups.Turkey accuses the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units, of being affiliated with Kurdistan Workers' Party militants at home, whom both Washington and Ankara consider a "terrorist" group.The United States said Tuesday it had brokered an extension to a fragile ceasefire in the flashpoint town of Manbij and was seeking a broader understanding with Turkey.But later on Wednesday, a Syria war monitor said 21 pro-Turkey fighters had been killed after they attacked a Kurdish-held position near Manbij despite the ceasefire extension. he asked.According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100,000 people died or were killed in custody from 2011.- 'Direct engagement' -=======================The country's new rulers have sought to keep its institutions going and, on Wednesday, a commercial flight took off from Damascus airport to Aleppo, the first since Assad was toppled and fled to Russia.They have also stepped up contacts with countries that had long seen Assad as a pariah, and with international institutions.EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen said the bloc would intensify its "direct engagement" with the new administration.Members of the UN Security Council, which includes Assad ally Russia as well as the United States, called on Tuesday for an "inclusive and Syrian-led" political process.