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The spokesman for a gathering¹ of Syrian opposition² groups said on Friday that an international conference on the country’s future later this month should focus on establishing a time-frame for an end to the fighting. He said conditions for a peace agreement must follow the lines set out by an earlier agreement at Geneva 1.

"If Geneva II is the only game in town, it has to take into consideration certain things agreed upon by the basic sponsors of Geneva. First, the items in Geneva I have to be taken into consideration. That’s one. Another thing: it should not go forever. There should be a time plan. We shouldn’t be talking about Geneva 5, Geneva 10, Geneva 15, because the plight³ of the Syrian people is unbearable," Syrian opposition spokesman Yahya Al-Aridi said.

The factions⁴ of the Syrian opposition met together for the first time in Cordoba in southern Spain. They called for a new coalition⁵ but did not reach agreement on who should attend peace talks later this month, or whether they would attend at all.

With less than a fortnight to go until the first direct talks between the opposition and President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Western backers have struggled to unify⁶ rebel groups. Fighting between rebel groups has reportedly killed hundreds. The so-called Geneva II conference on Syria is scheduled for January the 22nd.