Russian intervention to calm tension between two Syrian governorates

As-Suwayda – North-Press Agency

Jibran Marouf

The security tension between As-Suwayda and Daraa governorates, due to the operations of  kidnapping and counter-kidnapping, necessitated Russian intervention in an attempt to calm the situation, as the government, its security services and the police refused to play any role to stop those operations.

Informed sources from As-Suwayda, which requested anonymity for security reasons said in an interview with North-Press that, "a meeting is being awaited to be held in Damascus under the auspices of the Russians which will bring together figures from As-Suwadya and Daraa to solve the problem of the kidnapped from the two governorates, where a process of kidnapped exchange can take place for both governorates," the sources said.  

As the sources pointed out: "a committee consisting of six people from As-Suwayda and six people from Daraa is expected to be formed during the meeting and submit it to the Russian representative in the Reconciliation Center, whose task will be to contain any security tension between the two governorates, in coordination with the Russian mediator."

Moreover, the sources explained that, "the proposal to form this committee was put forward during a meeting held by a Russian officer with a group of personnel and figures in the town of Ura in the western countryside of As-Suwayda on Monday.

It is noteworthy that, the visit of the Russian envoy to Ura village came a few days after a meeting of a number of figures in Ura which included social leaders, clerics and leaders of local groups, during which a proposal was made by Prince Louay al-Atrash and pastor of Saint George Church for Greek Orthodox in As-Asuwayda providing for the reforming of the "National defense" militants and establishing a local reference authority that would be responsible for it, to which all local armed groups are included.

The proposal included "ensuring giving legitimacy to those groups by the Syrian government,"  so that its members would be treated as the Syrian military forces, which provides legal protection for their military actions, and the state guarantees that those who are killed from them would be treated as "martyr",  in terms of material and moral rights. However, this proposal which was submitted by al-Atrash didn't achieve the required consensus, especially after the objection of Youssef Jarbou, Aql  Sheikh of Mouwahidoun Druze.  

It was assumed that the top priorities of the "National Defense" group with its new formation, if it was agreed upon, was confronting those who carry out kidnappings, looting and killings. The security committee in As-Suwayda said that, the number of members of the groups accused of kidnapping, murder and robbery are about 149 persons, while activists accuse the security services of giving cover to many of those accused of these crimes, in addition to their failure to deter them and to implement the law.  

It is noteworthy that cases of kidnapping and counter-kidnapping started a few years ago between Daraa and As-Suwayda, between smuggling groups and those who want to set off a sedition between the two governorates, but after controlling Daraa and the stop of smuggling, some groups began kidnapping operations with the aim of obtaining a ransom money, as dozens of citizens were victims of these operations from the two governorates, and some of them lost their lives.