UN Special Envoy Warns of Repeat of Rwanda and Srebrenica Tragedies in Aleppo

Stefan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, has warned of a potential repeat of tragedies similar to Rwanda or Srebrenica in opposition-controlled areas of Aleppo. On Thursday, October 7, he stated that Syria and Russia should not destroy the entire eastern part of Aleppo, including its ancient section, under the pretext of targeting a maximum of 1,000 fighters from the al-Nusra Front. The UN envoy also expressed his readiness to personally assist fighters in Aleppo to exit the city safely. The historic city of Aleppo has faced the heaviest bombardments from the Syrian and Russian armies in recent months. Rebel groups opposing Bashar al-Assad, including Islamist factions, are stationed in the eastern part of the city. However, besides them, 275,000 civilians remain in the area, with an estimated 100,000 of them being children. The UN Special Envoy emphasized that if Russia and Syria use around 900 al-Nusra fighters as an excuse to completely destroy eastern Aleppo, 'history will judge them.' Stefan de Mistura added, 'Within a maximum of two to two and a half months, the eastern part of Aleppo, especially its historical section, will be completely destroyed.' He further stated, 'There is only one thing we are not going to be prepared for; that is to passively withdraw and allow another Srebrenica or Rwanda to happen.' During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, nearly one million people were killed, and hundreds of thousands of women and children were raped. Almost a year later, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, over eight thousand Muslim boys and men were killed by Serbian forces in Srebrenica. The Srebrenica massacre is referred to as the largest human genocide in Europe since World War II. Prior to de Mistura's statements, the Syrian army warned rebels and their families that if they did not take the opportunity to leave Aleppo and remained in the eastern parts of the city, 'an inevitable fate' awaited them.