Six months after al-Assad's fall: Syria's tightrope walk to unity

Yahoo

4 hours ago

Six months ago, the once seemingly impossible became reality: Syria's long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown after years of brutal civil war.
More than five decades of authoritarian rule by the al-Assad family came to an end. What remained was a fractured society - scarred by violence, riddled with mistrust, but also carrying a fragile hope for a new beginning.
Today, the nation of roughly 23 million people is governed by a transitional administration led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, while al-Assad has fled to Moscow.
A former leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), al-Sharaa and his alliance played a central role in toppling al-Assad on December 8.
Upon assuming office, the new leadership promised "a Syria for all." But six months on, has that promise been kept?
Minorities under pressure: fear and uncertainty
Internationally, the treatment of minorities in the new Syria is being viewed with particular scepticism. Like al-Sharaa and his companions, the majority of Syrians are Sunni Muslims.
However, recurring outbreaks of partly sectarian violence in recent months have fuelled fears among Druze, Alawites and Christians, for example.
As recently as early May, Sunni fighters aligned with the transitional government launched attacks on members of the Druze community, resulting in dozens of deaths.
Observers reported what they described as "massacres" in the coastal region as early as March.
In response to assaults by Assad loyalists, the transitional government launched a military operation, during which hundreds of Alawites - al-Assad's own minority sect - were killed in the fighting.
"There is fear, not only in the Druze community, but also among other minorities," Hammud al-Hinawi, a Druze sheikh and one of the top leaders of the religious community, told dpa.
"If we don't learn to accept one another, regardless of our religion, we can never build a nation," said al-Hinawi.
This is precisely what interim President al-Sharaa promised the population when he took power: a united Syria.
"But one must always keep in mind that Syria was divided by the old regime," emphasized the Druze leader. Only "hand in hand" and without extremism from any side can a united country be built, he added.
This includes the Kurds in the north-east, who had previously governed their region with a high degree of autonomy.
A key step toward national unity came with an agreement between Kurdish leaders and the transitional government to fully integrate into state institutions.
This would, in theory, grant al-Sharaa's administration authority over both civil and military structures in the north-east. However, key details of the deal remain unresolved.
Kurdish representatives expressed cautious optimism: "Like other communities, we are concerned, but we will see whether the new rulers will keep their promises and give every Syrian - regardless of their origin - their homeland back."
Back on the international stage
The new leadership in Damascus has also made it a priority to distance itself from the legacy of the al-Assad regime and to rebuild international relations.
Al-Assad had been largely isolated following the outbreak of civil war, with his government facing severe sanctions from much of the global community.
The conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests that were violently suppressed. It escalated into a full-scale civil war with international involvement, displacing some 14 million people and killing more than 300,000 civilians, according to UN estimates.
Nearly six months after al-Assad's fall, his successor al-Sharaa - a former rebel commander and ex-member of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda - has already met with several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump.
In Europe, he was received by French President Emmanuel Macron. In September, al-Sharaa is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Reconnecting to global financial networks
Damascus has recently scored significant gains on the international stage, particularly in the area of sanctions relief.
In mid-May, Syrians flooded the streets in celebration after Trump unexpectedly announced the complete lifting of US sanctions against the country.
Just days later, the European Union followed suit. The Syrian Foreign Ministry hailed the move as another "historic step" for the new Syria.
During the war, essential goods - ranging from medicine to fuel - were scarce, with imports nearly impossible under the weight of international sanctions.
The country was also largely cut off from the global financial system, making money transfers to and from Syria virtually impossible.
Observers say lifting the sanctions could gradually lower prices and allow urgently needed foreign capital to flow into the country - critical for both economic recovery and long-term reconstruction efforts.
90% of Syrians still dependent on aid
Even six months after the ousting of al-Assad, Syria remains far from stable. According to UN data from April, around 400,000 Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries - and over one million internally displaced persons - have returned to their homes.
The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN estimates that around 90% of the population still relies on some form of humanitarian aid.
After more than a decade of conflict, widespread poverty persists. Many Syrians say they continue to wrestle with uncertainty about their country's future.
"There are days when we question whether this new Syria is any different," one returnee said. "But there are also days when we believe - step by step - we're moving in the right direction. Hope is still alive."