Residents of Syria’s Suwayda reject governor’s promises, continue protesting
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, the residents of Suwayda governorate, south Syria, rejected the promises made by the governor of Suwayda, Numer Habib Makhlouf, amid stressing the continuation of the protests.
A number of residents rejected the governor’s promises, considering that their demands were not only for bread subsidies, North Press reported local sources.
This came after the governor of Suwayda met with representatives of the protesters who had blocked the Damascus-Suwayda Highway in cooperation with al-Fahd forces, amid promises he made to them to provide the residents with bread at the subsidized price.
The governor met also with representatives of al-Fahd Forces (a local armed faction) which, with some residents, blocked the highway.
The meeting was attended by the director of the bakeries, where the governor asked him to circulate to all bakeries to sell bread at the subsidized price.
The residents, however, rejected the promises and said they would continue their protests.
“These promises are only to calm the street,” Ihab Nasser, is a resident of Namra village in the northeastern countryside of Suwayda, told North Press.
He pointed out that the residents’ demands “are not only for bread, but rather include diesel and gasoline.”
“If the officials are unable to secure our most basic needs stipulated in the constitution, they must let us live in dignity,” Nasser added.
“Our forces withdrew from the Damascus-Suwayda Highway in order not to disrupt the residents’ work,” the commander of al-Fahd Forces, Salim Hamid tpld North Press in an exclusive statement.
“We’ll return to the street, and our return will be stronger and greater if the promises are not implemented,” Hamid added.
Al-Fahd forces posted a statement on their Facebook page, saying: “The unjust government decisions humiliated people and deepened their wounds. Instead of finding ways to improve the living conditions of those who have remained in the country, it has made new decisions that only increase the living conditions of the population.”
“The government, with its irresponsible and unconstitutional decisions, is pushing the population to resort to the last option, which is escalation and the street, and it is responsible for all the reactions that occurred and may occur in the coming days,” the statement said.
Civil activists in Suwayda said that the call for protests “will continue, and it will be broader next Sunday,” amid their rejection of any government promises.