Syria Opposition begins talks in Riyadh

Syrian government forces escort buses carrying Syrian rebel fighters as hundreds of civilians and rebel forces began evacuating the last Opposition-held district — Waer in the central city of Homs — under a deal with the Syrian regime on Wednesday. According to Homs governor Talal Barazi, some 700 people, including 400 women and children and 300 fighters, would be evacuated from the district under a deal reached earlier in December between rebel forces and the Syrian government. — AFP

Representatives from Syria’s fragmented Opposition began an unprecedented meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, seeking a united front for potential talks with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

While not all groups were invited, the two-day, closed-door gathering marks the first time a broad range of Syrian political and armed Opposition factions have come together since the conflict began in 2011.

The goal of the meeting, attended by about 100 delegates, is to form a unified bloc for talks with Mr Assad that world powers hope can be held before January 1.

Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, who has repeatedly warned that unless Mr Assad steps down peacefully he could be ousted militarily, attended briefly to welcome the delegates and express hope for a successful conclusion.

The talks held at a heavily secured luxury hotel in Riyadh are chaired by Abdulaziz Sager, a Saudi who heads the independent Gulf Research Centre in Geneva.

“The meeting saw a broad participation of Syrian Opposition groups inside and outside Syria,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The first day will focus on political questions, including the general contours of a potential settlement, while Thursday would be dedicated to discussing “terrorism, a ceasefire and reconstruction,” said a delegate involved in organising the meeting.

The head of the Istanbul-based National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, said in a statement that he was “optimistic” that the attendees would reach an agreement over “forming a negotiating team and on the principles of negotiations” with Mr Assad’s regime.