By Malin Mohammed
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Researchers and politicians view the announcement of a new military formation in Suwayda Government, southern Syria, under the name “National Guard Forces”, as a step that could help regulate the security and military situation in the governorate. Others, however, see it as a source of concern, warning of its potential negative impact on the state’s efforts to unify the country.
On Aug. 23, several military factions in Suwayda declared their full merger, stating that they would “abide by the directives of the spiritual leadership of the Druze community, represented by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who is recognized as the legitimate representative authorized to express the community’s collective stance.”
In their statement, the factions clarified that “the new formation will work in cooperation with local forces and auxiliary units to defend the Mountain [Druze area] and preserve the Unitarian (Muwahhidun Druze) identity.”
Defensive posture
“This initiative has been in the works for more than two months and was announced two days ago, with 30 factions joining the new formation,” said Jamal Darwish, a writer and researcher from Suwayda. “These factions affirmed their commitment to a full merger under the National Guard Forces.”
In a statement to North Press, he explained, “The National Guard is defensive by nature and not intended to attack anyone. This initiative reflects the vision of the people of Suwayda and is a positive step toward unifying the factions under a single leadership and administration.”
Darwish added that the move is “one of the most pressing necessities of the current stage, aimed at managing the security and military file in Suwayda under a new operations room and unified command.”
He further noted that the new formation’s tasks also include “protecting the governorate’s borders, maintaining stability in towns and villages, and confronting chaos and lawlessness,” pointing out that “there are upcoming steps to incorporate the remaining factions as well.”
Breach of state unity
For his part, former Syrian diplomat Basel Niazi warned that the announcement of merging the factions in Suwayda “raises serious concerns due to its negative repercussions on the state’s efforts to unify the country and build its legitimate institutions.”
He told North Press, “Any military formation outside the framework of the national army and legally recognized regular forces constitutes an explicit breach of the principle of state unity and its exclusive authority to use force.”
The former diplomat added that “the inclusion of suspicious members—among them former officers and fighters implicated in grave crimes committed during the years of conflict—strips this formation of any alleged national legitimacy and exposes its organizers to legal accountability both domestically and internationally.”
Niazi stressed that “Syria’s unity and security cannot be achieved by recycling war criminals or entrenching armed divisions, but only through rebuilding a unified national army under the law and legitimate civilian authority—an army that includes all Syrians without discrimination, while excluding those whose hands are stained with innocent blood or who were involved in corruption and criminality.”