Several diplomatic missions arrived in Damascus on Tuesday to meet the new Syrian authorities, dominated by Islamists, who are working to reassure foreign capitals of their ability to pacify Syria, devastated by 13 years of civil war.
The leader of the coalition that took power in Syria on December 8 pledged to dissolve and integrate into the army the factions that contributed to the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, and called for the lifting of international sanctions.
The fighting groups “will be dissolved and their fighters prepared to join the ranks of the Ministry of Defense, and all will be subject to the law,” said Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the radical Sunni group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), at the head of the coalition.
After half a century of unchallenged rule by the Assad clan, the new authorities seek to reassure, at a time when foreign capitals are making contact with their leaders, including Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who now calls himself by his real name, Ahmad. al-Shareh.
A French diplomatic mission, the first in 12 years, arrived in Damascus on Tuesday where the French flag was raised over the embassy, closed since 2012.
“France is preparing to be alongside the Syrians” during the transition period, declared the special envoy for Syria, Jean-François Guillaume.
German diplomats were also due to meet representatives of the transitional government on Tuesday. A British delegation arrived on Monday, the European Union announced the sending of a representative and the United States established contacts with HTS.
Abandoned by his allies, Russia and Iran, Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow when the rebels seized Damascus on December 8, after a lightning offensive led from northern Syria. The ex-president claimed Monday that he had only fled after the fall of Damascus and described the country’s new leaders as “terrorists.”
His fall was greeted by scenes of jubilation, almost 14 years after the start of the civil war triggered in 2011 by the repression of pro-democracy demonstrations, which left half a million dead and caused the flight abroad of six million people.
But unifying the country fragmented by years of war, where there are many factions with divergent allegiances and many religious and ethnic minorities, remains a challenge for HTS. This former Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda claims to have broken with jihadism but remains classified as a terrorist organization by several Western capitals, including Washington.
In the old souks of Damascus, the vast majority of businesses have reopened.
On Tuesday, traders painted the facade of their stores white, erasing the colors of the old Syrian flag with two stars.
“We have been working non-stop for a week to paint everything white, but we do not have enough workers to do all the stores,” said Omar Bachour, 61, a construction craftsman.
While some materials have seen their prices increase, most prices of food and basic necessities have fallen with the temporary lifting of taxes.
“Everything happened at once: the fall of the regime, the drop in prices, the improvement in life. We hope that it is not temporary,” says Abou Imad, who transformed his car into a small grocery store where he sells vegetables in a square in the capital.
The UN believes it can provide “ambitious” aid to Syria, the UN humanitarian chief said Tuesday after a meeting with Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
“A moment of cautious hope in Syria. My meetings in Damascus, including constructive discussions with the commander of the new administration, Mr. Ahmad al-Shareh, are encouraging. We have a basis for an ambitious strengthening of the vital humanitarian aid,” said Tom Fletcher on X.
While Bashar al-Assad posed as protector of minorities in a Sunni majority country, several countries and organizations, while welcoming his fall, say they are waiting to see how the new authorities will treat minorities.
“Syria must remain united, and there must be a social contract between the State and all faiths to guarantee social justice,” assured Ahmad al-Chareh while meeting members of the Druze community on Monday , a branch of Shiite Islam, estimated at around 3% of the pre-war population.
Before a delegation of British diplomats, Syria’s new strongman “mentioned the importance of reestablishing relations” with London and “underscored the need to lift all sanctions imposed on Syria in order to allow the return of refugees.”
In an interview with AFP, Riad Assaad, a rebel leader, defended the idea of a Syria that would have “good relations with all countries in the world”.
Former founding colonel of the Free Syrian Army (ASL), made up of dissident soldiers, he demanded that the members of the ousted government answer to the courts for the crimes committed: “Our objective is forgiveness and reconciliation, but it must be a transitional justice so that there are no acts of revenge.”
