Latest news with #BassemAbuFakhr
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Druze Group ‘Rijal al-Karama' Rejects Disarmament, Calls for Weapons Regulation in Sweida
A leading Druze movement said on Sunday that the issue of surrendering arms remains unresolved, even as local leaders in southern Syria announced the official start of implementing a peace agreement brokered by Druze clerics and dignitaries in Sweida province. Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesman for the 'Rijal al-Karama' movement, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group's weapons were solely for defense and had never been used offensively. 'The matter of handing over weapons falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, and no final decision has been made yet,' Abu Fakhr said. 'Our arms have never posed a threat to any party. We have not attacked anyone, and our weapons exist to protect our land and honor.' He added that while the group does not object to regulating the presence of weapons, full surrender was out of the question. 'We have no issue with organizing arms under state authority, provided they remain within the province's administrative boundaries and under state supervision,' he said. 'But the matter of weapons remains unresolved.' Formed in 2013, Rijal al-Karama was established to protect the Druze community and prevent its youth from being conscripted into fighting for any side in Syria's protracted conflict, which erupted after mass protests against then President Bashar al-Assad. The group continues to operate as an independent local defense force, separate from state security institutions. Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that a high-level meeting held last Thursday in Sweida—attended by senior Druze spiritual leaders Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and Sheikh Hammoud al-Hanawi, along with local dignitaries and community members—resulted in an agreement to reactivate the police and judicial police under the Ministry of Interior. Abu Fakhr also denied recent reports claiming that Druze clerics, tribal leaders, and faction commanders had agreed to fully surrender their weapons to the state. 'This issue has not been resolved by all parties in Sweida,' he said, reiterating the group's position: 'We have no objection to organizing the weapons under state oversight, as long as they remain within the administrative boundaries of the province, but not to surrendering them.' The statement underscores continuing tensions over the role of armed groups in Sweida, a province that has largely remained outside the control of both government and opposition forces throughout Syria's civil war.
Asharq Al-Awsat
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus
The Syrian government is stepping up its security operations in Druze-majority towns in southern Syria, aiming to stabilize volatile areas in both rural Suwayda and the Damascus suburbs following recent sectarian unrest. Despite a newly brokered ceasefire, community leaders report that tensions remain in the districts of Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. Government forces continue to expand their presence in Al-Surah, a town in northern Suwayda, in an effort to push back armed groups operating outside state control. The campaign comes amid fears of renewed violence, particularly after clashes earlier this week that were sparked by the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring a Druze cleric making offensive comments about Islam. The recording ignited two days of violent confrontations, starting in Jaramana on Tuesday and spreading to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, resulting in multiple casualties. On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting in Damascus brought together the governors of Suwayda, Rural Damascus, and Quneitra, alongside prominent Druze clerics and community leaders. According to Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesperson for the 'Men of Dignity' movement led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar, the meeting led to a ceasefire agreement and a plan to regulate arms in the region. Under the agreement, only personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior will be authorized to carry weapons. Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal also authorizes General Security forces to enter Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and assume control, with assurances that civilians would be protected from attacks by any group. A joint oversight committee was established to monitor compliance with the agreement's terms. In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Suwayda Governorate confirmed the preliminary ceasefire and emphasized the importance of a cooperative approach to halt bloodshed and restore calm. Security officials also declared the conclusion of a military operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, with security chief Hossam Al-Tahan reporting that government forces had entered all neighborhoods and begun efforts to restore order. Despite these moves, local residents report that tensions are far from resolved. In Jaramana, civil society representative Rabih Munzer described the atmosphere as 'tense' and said that checkpoints at the city's entrances are now manned by local General Security forces. He noted that the recent agreement has yet to be enacted, and a previous deal signed in March remains unimplemented. Responding to calls from Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Syria, Munzer stated: 'We are responsible for our own words—not the words of others.' He also warned of continued provocations by armed groups surrounding the city, including sniper fire and sporadic gunshots targeting civilians. Further south in Al-Surah, security deployments continue under the supervision of the Suwayda Governor and the commander of the Syrian Army's 40th Division. State-run media released images of security forces in the area, including photos of the governor overseeing the operation to pave the way for displaced residents to return safely. However, Abu Fakhr warned that several villages—Kanaker, Ara, Sass, Al-Surah, and Dama—remain under threat from what he described as jihadist groups.
