¡¡¡¡BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The head of the United Nations peacekeeping department says all 300 UN peace-keeping observers will be in Syria by the end of May.

¡¡¡¡The United Nations¡¯ peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous says the body is speeding-up its deployment of unarmed observers to Syria to ensure all 300 are on the ground by the end of this month, to monitor the country¡¯s shaky ceasefire.

¡¡¡¡Ladsous said, "Today we have 24 observers on the ground and I fully expect this number to increase rapidly over the next two weeks so that UNSMIS will build up to full operational strength by the end of May."

¡¡¡¡Ladsous refused to say which side is responsible for most of the violations since the ceasefire was meant to have been fully implemented by the middle of last month. But he says the unarmed observers have documented a number of Syrian heavy weapons deployed in populated areas, despite the government¡¯s claim that it had withdrawn tanks and troops from cities and towns as required under special envoy, Kofi Annan¡¯s plan.

¡¡¡¡Ladsous said, "I would not establish a ratio. I think now is perhaps not the time since after all we still have a limited number of observers in a limited number of localities. The fact is I think politically the important fact is that violations do come from both sides."

¡¡¡¡Ladsous expects the UN and Syria to soon sign an agreement on the UN¡¯s mission. But he says Bashar Al-Assad¡¯s government still refuses to allow the UN to use its own helicopters and air assets, and discussions are continuing on that issue. However, he says the observers¡¯ freedom of movement has recently improved.

¡¡¡¡(Source: CNTV.cn)

¡¡¡¡Special Report: Syrian Situation