Brazil rejects military solution to Syria conflict

The Brazilian government reaffirmed Friday its position on the Syrian situation, saying "there is no military solution to the conflict." President Dilma Rousseff called upon the international community to make efforts to end violence in Syria, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, Brazil condemned the attack committed on Wednesday in the Damascus suburbs, where 1,193 people were killed by chemical weapons. The Syrian opposition accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of killing the people in chemical weapon attacks, an accusation denied by the Syrian government. "The Brazilian government expresses its condolences to and solidarity with the families of the victims and endorses the calls made by the UN and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights about the urgent establishment of an independent investigation process," said the statement. The government said that only through an inclusive political process, led by the Syrian people, can the country achieve peace and effective protection of the civil population. The Syrian crisis broke out in March 2011, leading to a massive exodus of refugees into neighboring countries, such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.