"After Aleppo, Washington evidently has made every effort to push through its plan of resolving the Syrian conflict by splitting up the country. This is what they will advocate as part of the Geneva peace process," the former Editor-in-Chief at Radio France Internationale (RFI) said, adding that to that end the US has both voiced its support to the Turks and the Kurdish militias, whom Ankara largely views as terrorists.
Aleppo was partially controlled by foreign-sponsored radical armed groups from 2012 until late 2016. The Syrian Arab Army, assisted by Russia, Iran and its local allies, liberated the key city in December. Damascus' victory has dealt a major blow to forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.
Although France is taking part in the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, Paris "has been excluded from the peace process since it has sided with Saudi Arabia as evidenced by the foreign policy course charted by Laurent Fabius" he said.
Fabius served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development from May 2012 until February 2016. As France's top diplomat, he adopted a hardline stance on Damascus, saying that President Bashar al-Assad had to resign in order to kick start the peace process. Fabius is currently the president of the Constitutional Council.
Labeviere also pointed out that France did not take part in the Astana peace talks, sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran.
"France did not participate in the negotiations held in Astana which do not duplicate and are not adverse to what is happening in Geneva. They are instead complementing the Geneva process," he said.
The Astana peace talks were held to build on previous agreements reached between Damascus and the armed opposition. The deals, including the ceasefire plan, were unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 29. Nearly a month later a delegation from Damascus and representatives of armed radical groups fighting to depose President Bashar al-Assad met in Astana for the first time since the war erupted in 2011.
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