Syrian opposition groups to meet in Cairo

The Egyptian capital Cairo will host a meeting of Syrian opposition groups aimed at ending the crisis that has killed and displaced thousands of people during the last four years.

An opposition source said on Wednesday that opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government will hold a meeting in Cairo in order to arrive at a “joint vision” to in an effort to end the nearly four-year war.

Munzer Khaddam of the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change said, “Several opposition groups and individuals have been in talks for more than two months, and we have been in contact with them to try to reach a joint vision to solve the crisis.”

Although Khaddam did not give a certain timetable, another opposition source said the meeting was expected to be held in mid-January, followed by another meeting in the Russian capital Moscow.

He added that 12 opposition groups as well as a number of Kurdish officials will take part in the Cairo meeting.

The meeting will come amid Russian efforts to resume the peace process, which would include talks between government officials and opposition members.

Assad has announced he would back the Russian-sponsored talks.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are the main supporters of the militants operating inside Syria.

More than 200,000 people have died so far in the conflict in Syria, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein.