The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group seeks to return life in Syria to what it was before the civil war. The rebel group, which orchestrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad, continues to broadcast messages of unity to a population seriously scarred by decades of internal divisions.
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Key sectors of the country are gradually coming under the control of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the last two being army and police forces.
HTC, which led a coalition of militias during a surprise offensive at the end of November which led to the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, has established itself as the most important entity in Syria. Over the past ten days, a new interim government has been appointed, and HTC has urged Syrians abroad, some of whom have been displaced for more than a decade, to return home.
In Damascus, life is gradually returning to normal. Schools reopen and social services are restored. The tricolor flag was raised again above the French embassy, a symbolic gesture on the part of Paris. French authorities have confirmed that a senior diplomat has arrived in the Syrian capital, for the first time in 12 years, to begin talks with the country’s new administration.
The HTC, led by Ahmed al-Charaa, formerly known as Mohammed al-Joulani, claims to have made internal reforms driven by a desire to create a Syria based on unity, nationalism and peace.
The HTC gains a foothold in the Damascus police force
Abou Othma, who previously headed the Idlib police, was appointed by the HTS to head 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 emerge soon, but for now, they are still under review.
The task promises to be daunting, as Damascus’ police force must essentially be created from scratch. All police officers stationed in the capital under the regime of Bashar Al-Assad have been replaced and their weapons have been recovered.
“Most of the former police officers fled as soon as we arrived. But we stopped a few” said one armed man, who recently joined the new police force and who did not give his name.
The new police officers come from the city of Idlib, in northwestern Syria, a stronghold of the ruling rebel group.
“I arrived in Damascus seven days ago. We are just here to protect the population” said a newly appointed police officer who just arrived from Idlib.
The tasks of the Damascus police are currently very limited and restricted. Until the new laws are announced, they cannot enforce anything. Most of their daily activities involve collecting public complaints and providing assurances.
In addition to a clear legal framework, the Damascus police also face a shortage of personnel.
“It is clear that we have a shortage of police officers. We are therefore going to open the doors of our establishment to those who want to join us. After evaluation, we will proceed to recruitment“, says Abou Othma, Damascus police chief.
Former Bashar soldiers authorized to reconcile their status with the new interim government
Hundreds of Syrian soldiers and officers lined up outside a reconciliation center in the town of Latakiain northern Syria.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT“We opened this center in the province of Latakia. It welcomes all those who were affiliated with the former fallen regime. The idea of the reconciliation center is to give soldiers a reconciliation identity card for three months which allows them to move freely and safely in Syria“, explains Mohammad Mustafa, head of state security in the interim government.
Former soldiers fill out application forms containing their personal information. Their weapons are also confiscated before the process is completed.
“Those who hold a weapon will have it confiscated, then applications will be submitted with all the information, before new identity cards are issued and given to those concerned.“, said Mohammad Mustafa.
The new HTC-appointed Syrian interim government has given security guarantees and amnesty to former soldiers and police officers who did not participate in the torture and murder of civilians under Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new administration called on people to return to work and urged Syrian refugees around the world to return to help rebuild.
She announced plans to rehabilitate and control security forces in order to prevent the return of “those who have blood on their hands“.
