German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria.
Scholz said on Sunday that al-Assad had brutally oppressed his people and was responsible for countless deaths.
He stated that al-Assad had driven many people to flee Syria, and that many of them had arrived in Germany. “The Syrian people have suffered terrible hardships. The end of Assad’s rule over Syria is therefore good news.”
Now it is important that law and order is quickly restored in Syria, he said.
Scholz emphasized that all minorities must enjoy protection now and in the future. A political solution to the conflict in Syria is still possible, he asserted.
The German government will judge future rulers based on “whether they enable all Syrians to live in dignity and self-determination, defend Syrian sovereignty against malicious interference from third parties, and live in peace with their neighbors.”
Fighters from the Islamic militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have reported the capture of the Syrian capital Damascus. Previously, several rebel groups had taken power in other provinces. In many areas, government forces withdrew without a fight. According to Russia, the Syrian ruler has fled abroad.
