Syria’s civil war is over and Assad has won, says the UN

Special envoy Staffan de Mistura says Syrian rebels must give up their armed struggle and try to ‘win the peace’

A Syrian man carries a wounded baby following a nair strike by Syrian government forces in the rebel-held area of Douma
A Syrian man carries a wounded baby following a nair strike by Syrian government forces in the rebel-held area of Douma
(Image credit: Sameer al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images)

Syria's seven-year civil war, which has claimed the lives of nearly half a million people and displaced millions more, could finally be coming to an end.

Last week, the former US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, said President Bashar al-Assad had "won" the brutal conflict, will probably stay in power and may never be held accountable for the crimes committed by his regime.

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