UN chief: Ceasefire appeal backed by parties in 11 nations

United Nations, April 3 (PTI/AP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that warring parties in 11 countries have responded positively to his appeal for a global ceasefire to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, but turning words into peace is enormously difficult and fighting has escalated in major conflicts including Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan.

He called on all governments, groups and people with influence to urge and pressure combatants around the world to put down their arms, saying the need is urgent because the Covid-19 storm is now coming to all conflict areas.

Guterres told a briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York that his appeal 10 days ago was rooted in the recognition that there should be only one fight in our world today: our shared battle against Covid-19.

The U.N. chief said the appeal is resonating across the world, citing a growing number of endorsements for the cease-fire from 70 countries, civil society, religious leaders including Pope Francis, and more than 1 million people in an online petition organized by Avaaz.

He said parties to conflicts in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen have also expressed their acceptance.

But Guterres said: There are enormous difficulties to implementation as conflicts have festered for years, distrust is deep, with many spoilers and many suspicions. He also warned that terrorist or extremist groups may take profit from the uncertainty created by the spread of the pandemic.

The secretary-general said that in many of the most critical situations, we have seen no let-up in fighting and some conflicts have even intensified. In Yemen, he said that despite support for a cease-fire by the government, Houthi Shiite rebels and many other parties, the conflict has spiked.

Guterres said U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths is preparing to convene the parties to discuss Covid-19 crisis management and a nationwide cease-fire mechanism. In Libya, the secretary-general said, the warning parties welcomed calls to stop the fighting, yet clashes have escalated drastically on all front lines, obstructing efforts to effectively respond to Covid-19.

He urged the U.N.-recognized government that holds the capital of Tripoli and parts of the country's west and the rival government in the east that supports self-styled Gen. Khalifa Hifter to immediately halt hostilities to allow the coronavirus threat to be addressed.

In Afghanistan, where fighting increased, Guterres said the time has come for the government and the Taliban, who are working on a prisoner exchange, to cease hostilities as Covid-19 looms over the country. In Syria, where the first coronavirus deaths have been reported, he said a cease-fire in the last rebel stronghold in northwest Idlib which was negotiated by Russia and Turkey is holding.