Syria’s opposition groups in exile are engaged in an effort to unite and present a common platform for the effort to dislodge the regime of President Bashar Al Assad, but divisions continue to plague the effort.

One of the key reasons for the prolonged conflict that has seen some 15,000 people dying since March 2011 is the disunity of the groups opposed to the Assad regime, which still retains support from a significant chunk of the population.

The opposition is weak because of the infighting and fractiousness that have prevented the movement from gaining the kind of political traction it needs to present a credible alternative to the Syrian regime.

Unlike Libya’s National Transitional Council, which brought together most factions fighting Muammar Qadhafi’s regime and was quickly recognised by much of the international community, Syria’s opposition has no leadership on the ground.

The country’s Christians and seculars fear that Islamists, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, will impose a faith-based governance on the country. Many of them tend to support the Assad regime because of this fear, which is fuelled by statements from Brotherhood activists.

The two million Kurds of Syria want broader autonomy, but they have been warned against it by other opposition figures, including the Brotherhood. Therefore, the Kurds are staying out of the rebellion.

The division among Syrian opposition groups was evident in the Cairo meeting itself.

Rebel fighters and activists based in Syria said they were boycotting the meeting, denouncing it as a “conspiracy” and criticising the agenda which they said rejects calls for military intervention.

A statement signed by the rebel Free Syrian Army and “independent” activists said a meeting of opposition leaders hosted by the Arab League in Cairo served the interests of the Damascus regime’s allies Russia and Iran.

It also slammed the meeting for “ignoring the question of buffer zones protected by the international community, humanitarian corridors, an air embargo and the arming of rebel fighters.”

Obviously, Syrian opposition groups want a Libya-style foreign military intervention. But it is easier said than done. Russia and China rejects any UN intervention in Syria. The US and its allies find limited options because of the disunity of Syrian opposition groups.

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Al Arabi hit the nail on its head when he called on the gathering of some 250 Syrian opposition activists in Cairo “not to waste this opportunity” and to “unite.”

He underlined the need for “a pluralist democratic system that does not discriminate between Syrians.”

Nasser Al Qudwa, deputy to UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan, echoed Arabi’s call, telling the opposition to “unify your vision and your performance.”

Syrian opposition groups should realise that a united platform is not an option but a must. If they cannot agree among themselves over a strategy for transition of power, then they should not expect the international community to help them. They need to help themselves first by burying their differences.