UN chief tells Syrian government to cease violence, says civil war imperils neighbours

Peter James Spielmann, The Associated Press

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is telling the Syrian government to halt its violent crackdown on the dissidents and rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime.

The U.N. chief urged both the rebels and government to disengage from their battles.

Syria's civil war threatens to spill over to neighbouring countries, the U.N. chief told reporters Monday. Syria's neighbours are Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.