President as Mediator

This week, American President Obama served as would-be mediator between Russian President Putin and Turkish President Erdogan while all were in Paris. Reuters reported Obama met with Putin on Monday during the COP21 Climate Change Conference there. After the meeting, the White House informed journalists that Obama expressed regret over the death of the Russian pilot, but stressed Russia should de-escalate tensions with Turkey. The Daily Mail wrote that Obama told Putin Russian airstrikes in Syria need to target Daesh militants and not attack rebel groups who oppose Syrian President Assad. Yesterday, Obama met with Erdogan and pledged U.S. commitment to Turkey’s security and sovereignty, according to the AP. Erdogan was also asked to ease the tension with Russia and focus on the campaign against the Daesh. Daesh is apparently an Arabic acronym and the equivalent of Isis or Isil. Obama emphasized the common enemy remains Isil. Of course, Turkey accused Moscow of bombing Syria’s Turkmen region, where no Daesh terrorists exist. Russia claimed its plane was shot down to defend existing oil trade routes between Turkey and Daesh, allegedly taking place on an industrial scale, according to TASS news agency. Erdogan promised to resign if Moscow can prove its claim, but stressed that Putin must be the one to resign if he is lying. Though news headlines touted Obama as mediator between Russia and Turkey, he is not truly a neutral, as America actually leads the anti-Daesh coalition. Similarly, the U.K. Independent reported U.S. officials are pressuring the Turkish government to enforce its Northern Syrian border, still used as a smuggling route by the terrorists. On the humanitarian front, Russian airstrike campaigns in Syria have caused many civilian casualties, killing some three hundred non-combatants. No apologies were made and the situation still seems unsettled. It's hard to be a neutral facilitator when you have a stake in the outcome... See more here-- http://bit.ly/1Pvrr0v and http://ind.pn/1NHulPp

China As Global Mediator

When the Chinese government decided to appoint a special envoy to the Middle East a decade ago, China's concerns about the peace process there became evident. Whether China's mediation efforts contradict its longstanding principle of non-interference in internal affairs is of special interest as China becomes more deeply involved in the resolution of regional and international conflicts, indicating its emergence as a mediator. Since the Arab Spring last year, China has used its veto power several times in the United Nations Security Council and played a constructive role in the mediation of the ongoing crisis in Syria. China has contributed a peacekeeping medical team in southern Lebanon and remains one of the six parties involved in the talks on the Iranian nuclear issue. Because of the size of China's economy and its growing influence around the world, the once-isolated country has evolved as global mediator, seeking governance necessary for its own development. China was quick to urge the Syrian government and all parties concerned to halt the violence. China's former practice was to call for restraint from the parties and for peaceful resolution through dialogue-- not to take action. Mediation is now consistent with China's continuing role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which means it can no longer do nothing. This includes efforts in the Korean Peninsula and Africa, as well. China has been relatively absent from contemporary international mediation initiatives since the current republic's founding in 1949. However, it is now driven by increasing international stature, coupled with intensification of unresolved and newly emerging conflicts that threaten world security. See story - http://bit.ly/V81Zye

A moment on International Mediations

Mediators of the diplomatic kind are making moves in several international crises. Last month, Kofi Annan departed Syria, but diplomacy continues to be the international community's main focus there. Replacement of Annan with Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi is being floated. Apparently, Brahimi still wants to know how much room he will have to maneuver, how much international backing he can expect to receive and whether his job is to merely reach a cease-fire (as he achieved in Lebanon) or to tap into his expertise in creating new governmental systems. Uniting the opposition groups under a single leadership has eluded all former mediators including the Turkish foreign minister and intermediaries appointed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Arab League. A developing war of attrition could work in favor of a new U.N. mediator, who could exploit the fatigue of both sides and bring about a cease-fire. See story http://bit.ly/R9xFWs Likewise, in Mali the lead mediator in regional efforts to end unrest in Mali told rebels that they must cut ties to terrorist movements like al Qaeda before any peace talks can begin. Islamist militant groups control about two-thirds of Mali after hijacking a secular rebellion by Tuareg nationalists earlier this year. Burkina Faso Foreign Minister, Djibril Bassole, wants to promote a dialogue to increase the likelihood of successful negotiations. The U.N. Security Council last month endorsed political efforts by West African leaders to end the unrest in Mali, but stopped short of backing a force. See http://reut.rs/Ny7SAv Finally, in Zimbabwe, South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, is to visit this week in his capacity as Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator. His goal is to ensure the country is on the route to a fair, intimidation-free election. Zuma was appointed chief mediator on Zimbabwe in 2009 and no date is set for Zimbabwe's next elections, expected to take place within the next 12 months. A fragile unity government was formed in Zimbabwe in 2008 between President Robert Mugabe (who has ruled since independence in 1980) and opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai. The union followed a highly-contested presidential poll and post-election violence. http://bit.ly/Ty4ARL