French President Francois Hollande said yesterday that the Syrian opposition’s decision to suspend participation in peace talks was “worrying”, as he offered to support Jordan in dealing with refugees fleeing the five-year conflict.
Speaking a day after Syria’s main opposition announced its formal participation in peace negotiations in Geneva was on hold, Hollande said he was concerned a ceasefire that has dramatically reduced fighting across Syria might not last.
“If the truce is broken, fighting will restart, and civilians will flee once again. There will be no hope,” Hollande said after talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
“For Jordan, what’s happening in Geneva is very important. The suspension of talks is worrying.”
On Monday a collection of key Syrian rebel groups announced an armed response to what it said were “violations” of the ceasefire deal by pro-regime forces as violence mounted around second city Aleppo.
Hollande, who visited Cairo on Monday, had said that everything needed to be done in order to ensure the cessation of hostilities holds.
He has been on a regional tour to countries affected by war, during which he announced 100mn euros ($113mn) for Lebanon to help with the mass influx of Syrians escaping violence.
In Jordan, home to more than 630,000 displaced Syrians, the president discussed the refugee crisis as well as the fight against the Islamic State group.
The militants were recently forced from the ancient city of Palmyra but still control swathes of Syria, including their de facto capital Raqa.
“There are still refugees coming from Syria after fleeing fighting around Raqa and Palmyra. We need to support them but also ensure that terrorism isn’t brought with them,” Hollande said.
Jordan, which is part of a US-led coalition battling IS in Syria and Iraq, has struggled to cope with the numbers of Syrians seeking refuge in the kingdom.
It said on Monday that more than 50,000 refugees were stranded in no-man’s land along its border with Syria - a three-fold rise since January due to increased security checks.
Jordan insists it must screen newcomers to ensure they are genuine refugees and not jihadists seeking to infiltrate the country.
A French presidential source said Hollande’s visit was to express thanks for “the leading role Jordan plays in the fight against terrorism”.
Hollande also announced a total of 900mn euros worth of French aid over three years for the kingdom, principally in the form of loans.