South African lawmakers have voiced support for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria.


In a Thursday statement, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation (PCIRC) said that “We believe negotiations are the only way out of this crisis and we condemn any suggestions of a military solution. The people of Syria and the Middle East have suffered for too long.”

“The Committee further calls on those supporting the rebels to push for a negotiated solution,” the statement added.

On the same day, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma expressed opposition to any military intervention in Syria, saying “South Africa has raised the need to respect the UN in handling the international security issues. Global security matters such as the Syrian crisis must be dealt with by the UN.”


The US war rhetoric against Syria gained momentum on August 21, when the militants operating inside the country and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that over a thousand people had been killed in a government chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus.

The Syrian government categorically rejects the claim and says the attack had been carried out by the militants to draw in military intervention.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

The United Nations has reported that more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence.