As the Syrian rebels who toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime piece together their vision for the newly-liberated country, Syrians who had been forced to flee to refugee camps or neighbouring countries started to make their way back to their home country.
New Syria PM calls for ‘stability and calm’
Syria’s new transitional prime minister on Tuesday said it was time for “stability and calm” in the country, two days after longtime president Bashar al-Assad was toppled by rebels in a lightning offensive.
The rebels appointed Mohammad al-Bashir as the transitional head of government to run the country until March 1, a statement said.
“Now it is time for this people to enjoy stability and calm,” Bashir told Qatar’s Al Jazeera television in his first interview since being appointed.
Assad fled Syria as an Islamist-led opposition alliance swept into the capital Damascus over the weekend, bringing to an end five decades of brutal rule by his clan. A senior official told US broadcaster NBC that the ousted Syrian leader was now in Moscow.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist leader who headed the rebel offensive, had previously announced talks on a transfer of power and vowed to pursue former senior officials responsible for torture and war crimes.
Live: Syrian refugees attempt return to homeland after Assad regime ousted
At least 41 dead after boat capsizes on Lake Tanganyika in DRC
At least 41 people have died following the capsizing of a boat on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 49 rescued.