VOA Creole: Haiti's gangs have 'taken a step back,' transitional leader says
Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti's Transitional Council, says the armed gangs who have terrorized Haitians for months have "taken a step back." Voltaire credited the national police force and the Kenyan-led multinational force for the progress made in confronting gang violence.
Click here for the full story in Creole.
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Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Voice of America
Syrian leader signs constitution putting Islamist group in charge for 5 years
Syria's interim president on Thursday signed a temporary constitution that leaves the country under Islamist rule for five years during a transitional phase. The country's interim rulers have struggled to exert their authority across much of the country since the Islamist former insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, led a lightning insurgency that overthrew former leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa is now the country's interim president — a decision that was announced after a meeting of the armed groups that took part in the offensive against Assad. At the same meeting, the groups agreed to repeal the country's old constitution and said a new one would be drafted. While many were happy to see an end to the Assad family's dictatorial rule of over 50 years in the war-torn country, religious and ethnic minorities have been skeptical of the new Islamist leaders and reluctant to allow Damascus under its new authorities to assert control of their areas. Abdulhamid al-Awak, one of the seven members of the committee al-Sharaa tasked to draft the temporary constitution, told a press conference Thursday that it will maintain some provisions from the previous one, including the stipulation that the head of state must be a Muslim and Islamic law is the main source of jurisprudence. However, al-Awak, a constitutional law expert who teaches at the Mardin Artuklu University in Turkey, also said the temporary constitution includes provisions that enshrine freedom of expression and the press. The constitution will "balance between social security and freedom" during Syria's shaky political situation, he said. A new committee to draft a permanent constitution will be formed, but it is unclear if it will be more inclusive of Syria's political, religious and ethnic groups. Al-Sharaa on Monday reached a landmark pact with the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria, including a ceasefire and a merging of their armed forces with the central government's security agencies. The deal came after government forces and allied groups crushed an insurgency launched last week by gunmen loyal to Assad. Rights groups say that hundreds of civilians — mostly from the Alawite minority sect to which Assad belongs —were killed in retaliatory attacks by factions in the counteroffensive. A key goal of the interim constitution was to give a timeline for the country's political transition out of its interim phase. In December, al-Sharaa said it could take up to three years to rewrite Syria's constitution and up to five years to organize and hold elections. Al-Sharaa appointed a committee to draft the new constitution after Syria held a national dialogue conference last month, which called for announcing a temporary constitution and holding interim parliamentary elections. Critics said the hastily organized conference was not inclusive of Syria's different ethnic and sectarian groups or civil society. The United States and Europe have been hesitant to lift harsh sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad's rule until they are convinced that the new leaders will create an inclusive political system and protect minorities. Al-Sharaa and regional governments have been urging them to reconsider, fearing that the country's crumbling economy could bring further instability.
Voice of America
12-03-2025
- Voice of America
US steered Syrian Kurds toward Damascus deal, sources say
The United States encouraged its Syrian Kurdish allies to reach Monday's landmark deal with the Islamist-led government in Damascus, six sources said, an agreement that could stave off further conflict in northern Syria at a time of uncertainty over the future of U.S. forces deployed there. The deal aims to stitch back together a country fractured by 14 years of war, paving the way for Kurdish-led forces, which hold a quarter of Syria, to merge with Damascus along with regional Kurdish governing bodies. Key details of how this will happen have yet to be spelled out, however. General Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), was flown to Damascus for Monday's signing with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa aboard a U.S. military aircraft, three sources said. Three other sources — U.S. officials — said the United States had encouraged the SDF to move toward an agreement to resolve its status in the new Syria — the focus of multi-track talks which began after Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December and which Reuters reported on in January. "The U.S. played a very crucial role," a senior regional intelligence source said. The deal came at a moment of pressure on both sides. Sharaa is grappling with the fallout of sectarian killings, which were reportedly carried out by militants aligned with his government, while the SDF is locked in conflict with Turkey-backed Syrian groups who are allied to Damascus. Four sources, including one close to the Syrian government, said the sectarian violence had nudged along the agreement. The intelligence source and a Damascus-based diplomat expected the deal to ease Turkish military pressure on the SDF, deemed by Ankara as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has welcomed the agreement. A Syrian government official said the presidency would work to address pending issues between the SDF and Turkey. Deep ties Washington has developed deep ties to Syria's Kurdish groups since deploying forces to the country to fight Islamic State a decade ago, partnering with Kurdish fighters despite objections from Turkey. The U.S. troop deployment has come into renewed focus since President Donald Trump returned to power. Ahead of any policy decisions on Syria, the Pentagon has started developing plans for a potential withdrawal, should one be ordered, U.S. officials tell Reuters. Still, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Tuesday there was no sign that a pullout was imminent. The U.S. defense official said General Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, had helped pushed the SDF toward the deal but that the agreement was already moving along. The thinking in the U.S. administration was that the SDF would be unlikely to hold onto its territory in the long-term if it faced pressure from Turkey and the new Syrian government combined, the U.S. defense official said. "The United States is looking for ways to withdraw from Syria without chaos and blowback. The best way of doing that is to secure a deal among the Syrian factions," said Aron Lund of Century International, a U.S.-based think tank. "A negotiated handover makes sense for the United States. It's Washington's best bet, to avoid conflict between the Kurdish-led forces and the new government in Damascus, and to prevent a Turkish attack across the border," he said. Devil in the details The U.S. military declined comment on all aspects of the deal, including any role it may have had in encouraging talks or whether it provided transportation to Abdi to reach Damascus. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington welcomed the agreement. Erdem Ozan, a former Turkish diplomat and expert on Syria, said the agreement benefited both sides. "Sharaa gains political breathing room after recent unrest in the coastal area, and the SDF avoids a direct clash with Turkey at a time when U.S. policy on Syria remains uncertain," he said. The deal did not say how the SDF will be merged with Syria's armed forces. The SDF has previously said its forces must join as a bloc. Damascus wants them to join as individuals. The Syrian government official said committees would work to address details, including the control of borders. "While it might seem like a win-win now, the real test will be in its execution," Ozan said. An SDF spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions. Abdi has called the deal a "real opportunity to build a new Syria." The deal was struck at a potentially historic moment for the Kurds, following a call by the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan for his group to disarm. Though heavily influenced by Ocalan, the SDF has said this does not apply to it. Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Washington wants to ensure the fight against Islamic State continues smoothly, with Damascus eventually taking up responsibilities for countering it. "It also helps unify the country which is in the interest of the U.S. since it wants stability and not internal power fights," he said.
Voice of America
12-03-2025
- Voice of America
DRC, M23 rebels to begin direct peace talks, Angola says
Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will begin in the Angolan capital on March 18, Angola's presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group. Rwanda denies those allegations. Angola announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to broker the direct talks. Congo's government has repeatedly refused to hold talks with M23 and on Tuesday said only that it had taken note of the Angolan initiative. There was no immediate comment from Kinshasa on Wednesday.
