{"id":132944,"date":"2025-12-07T08:21:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T08:21:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=132944"},"modified":"2025-12-07T08:22:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T08:22:03","slug":"suwayda-one-year-on-amid-uncertainty-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/132944\/","title":{"rendered":"Suwayda one year on amid uncertainty, division\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) \u2013<\/strong> Suwayda today looks markedly different from the period before the fall of the Assad regime\u2014both in its slogans and in its demands. This shift has become more pronounced since the events of July, when forces of the transitional government launched an offensive on the governorate, followed by a retaliatory attack by local tribes, leaving an estimated 4,000 people dead, according to unofficial local tallies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tareq Abu Hamdan, a civil activist from Suwayda, told North Press that\u201cresidents were deeply concerned that power might shift to a “radical jihadist” faction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he said that many preferred to give the post-Assad transition a chance to bring about the real change demanded since the early days of the revolution: \u201cfreedom, democracy, justice, equality, economic improvement, and restoring Syria\u2019s regional standing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, none of these goals have been achieved a year after the regime\u2019s collapse, Abu Hamdan noted. He added that the new government sought to assert control over the southern governorate through force, while the absence of an effective legal framework prevented the establishment of a clear roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe solution lies in an international investigative committee to document violations and prosecute perpetrators under international law\u2014not through local mechanisms,\u201d he stressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a six-point roadmap to address the Suwayda crisis, backed by the United States and Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roadmap, signed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, includes holding perpetrators accountable, compensating victims, restoring services, rehabilitating villages, deploying Interior Ministry forces, reopening roads, disclosing the fate of missing persons, and initiating reconciliation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the recently formed Supreme Legal Committee in Suwayda rejected the roadmap<\/a>, describing it as an attempt to evade responsibility and \u201centrench impunity.\u201d It stressed that any externally imposed solution would not be binding for residents, who view self-determination as their exclusive right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Observers, on the other hand, say the plan signals the first indications of regional and international consensus, potentially giving it more political weight than earlier initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political stalemate and humanitarian decline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Najeeb Abu Dahn, another civil activist, told North Press that the current situation is marked by political deadlock, persistent blockade measures, and ongoing basic crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The suffocating siege on Suwayda is still ongoing, and there are severe water, electricity, and internet shortages,” he said. “We are in a dire situation, and we have not seen any progress on these files.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He warned against repeating past experiences that harmed minority communities, emphasizing locals\u2019 desire to establish a secular state that protects all Syrians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abu Dahn added that developments in other parts of the country\u2014such as rural Homs and the coast\u2014reflect the spread of extremist ideologies that threaten local diversity, reinforcing the need to safeguard Suwayda\u2019s community and its secular identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between freedom and independence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Poet Anwar Nasr placed the events within a broader context, describing a \u201cshock\u201d after the regime\u2019s fall. \u201cWe rose up and protested for freedom and democracy, not to reproduce tyranny,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter the massacres, no word is enough to describe what happened,” Nasr told North Press that. “We insist on independence\u2014even if delayed\u2014and we will remain in the Square until it is achieved,\u201d referring to al-Karama Square, known for protests and sit-ins in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes that a confederation could serve as a temporary solution, but emphasized that the final goal is full independence. He urged the international community to support \u201cthe people of Jabal Bashan\u201d [Suwayda Governorate] in their demands for freedom and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Suwayda stands at a critical crossroads\u2014between an unstable security and political landscape and rising local calls for accountability and international protection. With no clear vision for the post-Assad era since the government\u2019s fall on Dec. 8, 2024, the governorate’s future remains open to multiple, uncertain outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporting by Haroun al-Arbid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editing by Jwan Shekaki<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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