The Joint United Nations and Arab League special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, said
on Monday he was “horrified” by the gruesome weekend massacre that killed more than
100 people in Houla, and called on ``every individual with a gun'' to lay down arms
and stop the killing.
The Syria government has strongly denied allegations
that its forces carried out the killings, but the U.N. Security Council after an emergency
session on Sunday condemned government forces for shelling residential areas.
The
attack prompted the International Committee for the Red Cross to reissue an appeal
to both sides of the conflict to avoid civilian casualties.
"We urge the parties
to the fighting to distinguish at all times between civilians and those participating
in the hostilities," said Marianne Gasser, the head of the ICRC delegation in Syria.
"Especially when fighting in populated areas, the parties must constantly take care
in their choice of means and method of warfare to spare civilians the effect of the
hostilities."
Listen to interview by Charles Collins with ICRC media
spokesperson Phillipe Stoll: