UN leader Ban Ki-moon praised the Arab League's "strong and courageous" call for an end to violence in Syria and said President Bashar al-Assad's troops must immediately halt attacks on civilians, his spokesman said Sunday.
Ban welcomed the Arab League resolution which suspended Syria for failing to keep a commitment to end the crackdown against protests, which the UN estimates has left more than 3,500 dead, spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement.
The Arab League has "taken a strong and courageous stance regarding the situation in Syria," said the statement.
"The secretary general urges the Syrian authorities to heed the call from the League to stop violence by the army against civilians immediately" and to "speedily" implement the League's peace plan.
"The secretary general reiterates that all violence must stop immediately to open the way for a credible Syrian-led process of comprehensive political change that will address the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people," said the UN statement.
Violence which has erupted in Syria since the Arab League suspension has brought more international condemnation.
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