France calls for UN observers in East Aleppo

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS (AA) - France wants United Nations observers to supervise the evacuation of civilians from the besieged city of Aleppo and prevent the killing of opposition rebels, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Wednesday.

Ayrault cited uncertainty and "total confusion" on the ground surrounding the evacuation process.

"France demands [the presence of ] UN observers to have a guarantee that the evacuation of civilians is a priority but also so that the rebels are not massacred," Ayrault told France 2 television.

"Humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross and UNICEF must also be able to intervene," the minister added.

As a result of a Turkish mediation, the cease-fire took into effect as of 7.00 p.m. local time (1700GMT) on Tuesday.

Under the deal, civilians trapped in the conflict-hit zone will be moved via buses to the western part of Aleppo. Opposition fighters would be evacuated after the civilians.

The past couple of days have seen the Russia-backed Assad regime re-establish control over parts of Aleppo captured four years ago by armed opposition groups.

Numerous civilians were killed by Syrian regime forces in opposition-held areas in eastern Aleppo in the past two days,

Since mid-November, more than 1,130 civilians have been killed in eastern Aleppo in attacks by Syrian regime and Russian warplanes, according to local sources.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which had erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the conflict and millions more displaced.