Claims emerge that HTS has reached an agreement with the Druze: Is integration with Damascus coming?

It has been claimed that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Shara, who was appointed as the president of the transitional government in Syria, has reached an agreement with the Druze community. It is alleged that Jolani met with As-Suwayda Regional Governor Mustafa al-Bakour and prominent Druze leaders in Damascus, and that a memorandum was reached during this meeting that includes the integration of all local administrative institutions into the Damascus government.

A PLAN FOR INTEGRATION WITH DAMASCUS?

According to ANKA, it is stated that the parties reached an agreement at the meeting, but this has not yet been confirmed by official authorities. Syria's official news agency SANA shared the following statements regarding the meeting:

"In the statement made on the As-Suwayda Governorate's Telegram channel, it was emphasized that important national and local issues were discussed at the meeting, and that a common vision was developed for a future where justice and law prevail in order to protect the country's unity and integrity during this historical process that Syria is going through."

On the other hand, a statement made on al-Shara's official social media accounts included the following: "President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ahmed al-Shara, met with a distinguished delegation from the As-Suwayda Governorate, which included academics."

DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT

While the As-Suwayda Governorate confirmed that the meeting took place, it was claimed that important decisions regarding the integration process with the Damascus government were made during the meeting. Accordingly:

The Damascus government will appoint a governor and a police chief from outside the region to As-Suwayda.

Armed Druze groups providing security in the city will be attached to the Syrian Ministry of Interior.

The local police force will be composed solely of the people of As-Suwayda.

However, no official statement has yet been made regarding the exact details of the agreement.

JOLANI HAD ALSO SAT AT THE TABLE WITH THE SDF

One day before the As-Suwayda meeting, Jolani had also met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) leader Mazloum Abdi and signed an 8-point memorandum. The claim that a similar agreement was reached with the Druze following this memorandum indicates that the balances in Syria are being reshaped.

News Source: 12punto