The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group seeks to restore life in Syria before the civil war. The rebel group, which orchestrated the brutal fall of President Bashar al-Assad, continues to convey messages of unity to a population gravely scarred by decades of internal division.
Syria’s rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is consolidating its power just ten days after the country’s longtime autocratic president, Bashar al-Assad, was radically ousted from power.
Key sectors of the country are gradually being brought under their control, the latest two being the military and police forces.
HTS, which led a coalition of militias in a surprise offensive in late November that led to the fall of al-Assad, has become the main entity in Syria. Over the past ten days, they have appointed a new interim government and urged Syrians abroad, some displaced for more than a decade, to return home.
Life in Damascus is gradually returning to normal. Schools have reopened and social services have been restored. Foreign embassies are also slowly reopening, the French flag has been raised over its embassy in Damascus, a symbolic gesture from Paris. French officials confirmed that a senior diplomat had arrived in the Syrian capital; for the first time in 12 years, to engage in talks with the country’s new administration.
HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa; formerly known by his pseudonym Mohammed al-Golani, claims to have undertaken internal reforms underlined by the desire to create a Syria based on unity, nationalism and peace.
HTS gains a foothold in the Damascus police force
Abou Othma, former Idlib police chief, was appointed by the HTS to manage all police stations in the capital.
He was tasked with enforcing the group’s new laws, which have not yet been implemented. A new set of laws is expected to be released soon, but at the moment they are still under discussion.
This is a colossal task ahead of us, as the Damascus police force must essentially be built from scratch. All police officers serving in the capital under al-Assad have been replaced and their weapons recovered.
“Most of the former police officers fled as soon as we arrived. But we arrested a few,” said one armed man, who recently joined the new police force, and who did not give his name.
New officers arrive from Idlib, a city in northwest Syria, stronghold of the ruling rebel group.
“I arrived here in Damascus seven days ago. We are just here to protect the population,” said a newly appointed police officer who recently arrived from Idlib.
The Damascus police currently have very limited and restricted missions. Until the new laws are announced, they will not be able to enforce anything. Most of their daily operations involve receiving complaints from the public and providing assurances.
In addition to a clear legal framework, the Damascus police also face a shortage of personnel.
“We clearly lack police officers. We are therefore going to open the doors of our establishment to those who wish to join us. So, after evaluation, we will proceed with recruitment,” explains Damascus police chief, Abou Othma.
Former Al-Assad soldiers allowed to reconcile their status with the new interim government
Hundreds of Syrian soldiers and officers lined up outside a reconciliation center in the northern Syrian city of Latakia on Tuesday.
The aim was to register their details with the new interim government so that they could obtain new identity cards allowing them to live and move freely within the country.
“We opened this center in Latakia province, the center welcomes all those who were affiliated with the former deposed regime. The idea of the reconciliation center is to give soldiers a reconciliation ID for three months that allows them to move freely and safely in Syria,” explains Mohammad Mustafa, state security officer of the interim government.
Former soldiers filled out application forms including their personal information. Their weapons are also confiscated before the process is completed.
“Those who hold a weapon, it will be taken away from them, then applications will be filed with all the information, then new identity cards will be issued and given to them,” Mohammad Mustafa noted.
The new HTS-appointed Syrian interim government has given security guarantees and amnesty to former soldiers and police officers who did not participate in the torture and killing of civilians during al-Assad’s rule.
The new administration called on people to return to work and urged Syrian refugees around the world to return to help rebuild.
He announced his intention to rehabilitate and control the security forces to prevent the return of “those with blood on their hands”.
