New Syrian leader promises to dissolve rebel factions

The head of the Islamist-dominated coalition that took power in promised that the rebel groups will be “dissolved” and their fighters, who helped topple the regime in integrated into the new government’s army, at the same time that he called for the end of international sanctions against the country. After almost 50 years of rule by the Assad clan, the new authorities face the challenge of unifying a country devastated by 13 years of war and reassuring the international community, which has begun to establish contact with its leaders. The leader of the radical Sunni group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al Jolani, who commanded the rebel offensive, met with British representatives on Monday and will have a meeting this Tuesday with the first French diplomatic mission sent to Damascus in 12 years.

In statements released on the HTS Telegram channel, Jolani, who now uses his real name, Ahmad al Shareh, stated that the groups fighting in Syria “will be dissolved and the fighters prepared to join the ranks of the Ministry of Defense, and all will be under the law.” With his allies Russia and Iran embroiled in other conflicts, Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow when the rebel coalition took Damascus on December 8 after a lightning offensive launched in northern Syria. The former president broke his silence on Monday. He claimed his escape from Damascus was unplanned and called the country’s new rulers “’terrorists.”

Return of refugees

Assad’s fall provoked scenes of joy and relief after almost 14 years of civil war, which began in 2011 with the repression of pro-democracy demonstrations and left half a million dead, in addition to millions of exiles. But unifying this country with multiple factions with divergent international alliances and diverse religious minorities is a challenge for HTS. Previously linked to Al Qaeda, the group claims to have broken away from jihadism, but many Western countries still classify it as a “terrorist” organization. In a military complex near Damascus, residents set fire to the homes of former government officials.

In Latakia, Syria’s second most important port on the Mediterranean, hundreds of men and some women who were part of the former government forces arrived on Monday at the location determined by the new authorities to hand over their weapons. “Syria must remain united and there must be a social contract between the State and all confessions to guarantee social justice,” said Jolani during a meeting with representatives of the Druze community, a branch of Shiite Islam that represented 3% of the population. Syrian population before the war. Jolani, now Ahmad al Shareh, also received a delegation of British diplomats and defended “the need to lift all sanctions imposed on Syria to allow the return of Syrian refugees”.

Diplomatic approaches

Many countries and international organizations celebrated the fall of Assad, but are waiting to see how the new authorities will treat the country’s minorities, of whom the former president claimed to be the protector. In a delicate regional situation, however, Western countries do not want to miss the opportunity to reestablish ties with Damascus given the risk of fragmentation and the resurgence of the jihadist group Islamic State, which has never been completely eradicated from Syria. The United States army announced on Monday that it killed 12 IS members in bombings in Syria.

Washington also established contacts with HTS and the announced on Monday the sending of a high-ranking representative to Damascus. The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, stated that Russia and Iran “should have no space” in the new Syria and explained that the EU will address the issue of the future of Russian military bases in the country with the new authorities. In an interview with AFP, Riad Assaad, one of the rebel leaders, called on Moscow to “review its calculations” and “abandon hostility.” He defended the idea of ​​a Syria that maintains “good relations with all countries in the world”.

*With information from AFP
Posted by Victor Oliveira