Brahimi Meets Assad, Urges Regime, Rebels to Declare 'Unilateral' Ceasefires

Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Sunday urged the two sides in Syria's conflict to declare "unilateral" ceasefires for this week's Eid al-Adha holiday, following talks with President Bashar Assad.

"I appeal to everyone to take a unilateral decision to cease hostilities on the occasion of Eid al-Adha and that this truce be respected from today or tomorrow," Brahimi told reporters, referring to the four-day Muslim holiday starting on Friday.

The U.N.-Arab League envoy was speaking after he held talks with Assad in Damascus.

Brahimi said the ceasefire call was his "personal initiative, not a blueprint for peace."

"This is a call to every Syrian," he said, adding that he had contacted the leaders of the political opposition both within and outside Syria and armed groups inside the country.

"We found them to be very favorable" to the idea of a truce, Brahimi said.