UNITED NATIONS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is facing international pressure to end a bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters, is not taking the UN chief’s phone calls, the United Nations said on Friday.UN spokesman Martin Nesirky confirmed a report by Kuwait news agency KUNA that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had been trying to call Assad on Thursday but was told that the president was “not available.”
He added that Ban had been trying to speak with Assad all week but was unable to get through to him.
Ban has urged Assad to end what he called “violent repression” and human rights abuses by Syrian forces, who rights groups say have killed over 1,100 civilians since March in their revolt to press demands for more political freedoms and an end to corruption and poverty.