Mogherini calls for unity in fight against Da’esh
The international community must remain united if it is to defeat the threat of Da’esh. That was the message of High Representative Federica Mogherini i at the third ministerial meeting of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to counter Da'esh, in Rome today.
“There is a global threat we need to tackle as a global coalition, with some territorial focus on Syria, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. It is a battle for hearts and minds, to win it we need to unite and avoid exacerbating the sectarian divide,” she said.
She underlined that, as far as the European Union is concerned, there is no possible military solution to the war in Syria. After years of division, there is a window of opportunity that will not stay open forever.
“Daesh cannot be defeated without a political solution to the Syria conflict. It is crucial that the political process is not disconnected to what is happening on the ground, that confidence building measures are implemented.”
Mogherini called for an increase in humanitarian access, and an end to the sieges and attacks against civilians. She said that Thursday’s Donors’ Conference in London will be key: “The EU will make a very substantial pledge and we will provide new, very substantial compacts to support Lebanon and Jordan as they face the refugee crisis. As ceasefires will begin to take place, we are ready to step up our assistance inside Syria, too.”
She said the second urgency was to focus on stabilising liberated areas. Thirdly, she urged her audience not to forget about Libya, where time is of the essence and the Government of National Accord is the best option to fight Da’esh on the ground.
“Fourth, we need to focus on the fight against terrorist attacks of Da’esh in the wider region and in Europe. We need more global coordination on this, on intelligence and prevention, it is vital.”
“The international community can finally be united, after five long years. And this is new. This is the best response to Da’esh in terms of messaging and effectiveness, if we manage to translate this unity into concrete, consistent common actions,” Mogherini concluded.
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