Matthew 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Syrian opposition forces have agreed to meet with the government for peace talks next month.
A wide variety of critics of President Bashar al-Assad, consisting of both political opponents and rebel forces, had spent the past two days in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh trying to develop a unified vision as to how they could politically put an end to the country’s ongoing civil war.
On Friday, the Syrian Coalition released a statement saying the group was successful.
Its members said they’re seeking a new, pluralistic democracy built upon equality, transparency, accountability and law. The coalition said in the statement that it will form a committee that will pick the delegates to attend the meeting with Assad, but neither the president nor those in his current regime could participate in the transition process “or any future political settlement.”
The coalition said it wants equal rights in Syria, and wants to craft a regime “that represents all sectors of the Syrian society, with women playing an important role and with no discrimination against people, regardless of their religious, denominational or ethnic backgrounds.”
Reuters reported the peace talks will take place in the first 10 days of January.
Syria has been in turmoil since 2011, when Assad’s opponents began a rebellion that developed into a civil war. The BBC reported Friday that at least 250,000 people have died and about 11 million additional people have been driven from their homes as a result of the ongoing conflict.
