UN has invited Syria’s warring sides to Geneva talks

GENEVA — The United Nations has invited Syria's government and opposition to peace talks set to start in Geneva on Friday, a UN statement said on Tuesday, without giving any details of who had been invited, or how many groups might participate.

“The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has addressed invitations to the Syrian participants today, January 26, 2016, in accordance with the parameters outlined in Security Council Resolution 2254 [2015],” the statement said.

The intra-Syrian talks will start as of January 29, 2016 in Geneva.

Diplomacy has repeatedly failed to resolve the conflict that has killed 250,000 people and forced millions from their homes, spawning a refugee crisis in neighbouring states and Europe. De Mistura is the third international envoy for Syria. His two predecessors — Kofi Annan and Lakhdar Brahimi — both quit.