By \u00c1lvaro Mellizo
Damascus, Dec 15 (EFE).- Syria marks one week since President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by an insurgent coalition, with the United Nations taking its first steps to engage with the country’s new transitional government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, arrived in Damascus on Sunday, making him the first international official to visit under the new regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking upon his arrival, Pedersen acknowledged the profound changes unfolding in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can hopefully see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can really see a rallying around the building of Syria,\u201d Pedersen told reporters in Damascus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need to get the political process underway that is inclusive of all Syrians. That process obviously needs to be led by the Syrians themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fall of Assad<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The insurgent coalition, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), overthrew Assad\u2019s government in just 12 days of intense fighting, ending 53 years of rule by the Assad family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The acting prime minister, Mohamed al-Bashir, now oversees the transitional government, while Ahmed al-Sharaa (known as Abu Mohamed al-Jolani), leader of HTS, is emerging as the de facto “strongman.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n