Ceasefire by Jaysh al-Islam

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Ceasefire by Jaysh al-Islam
Date: 2 May 2016
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local conflict
Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - )
The agreements relate to three different conflict contexts. Israel-Syria and Syria-Lebanon. The Syrian-Israeli conflict was a key factor for the Syrian intervention during the Lebanese Civil War, with Syrian-backed Palestinian Liberation Army units intervened in 1976 against the Palestinian/Leftist militias. Following a massacre at Tel al-Zaatar that year, Syria was forced to accept a ceasefire at a meeting of the Arab League. However, the Arab League also mandated an Arab Deterrence Force, consisting of mostly Syrian soldiers with token contributions from other Arab League states, thus further legitimizing the Syrian presence in Lebanon. During a second bout of fighting that began in 1989, caused by the formation of rival Lebanese regimes in East and West Beirut, the Syrian-backed regime won and in 1991 the ‘Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination’ was signed to legalize the Syrian occupation as a means to ensure the security of Syria. Syrian forces were forced to withdraw in 2005 following possible involvement in the assassination of Lebanon’s President Hariri.

Syria-internal. In 2011, domestic upheaval following a wave of protests across the Arab World soon led to violent repression of protestors by Syrian government troops. The violence progressed steadily and by July 2011 the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was formed consisting of defected military units and new recruits. The FSA and rebel umbrella group known as the Syrian National Council represented the first attempt at coordinating rebel factions in late 2011. However, a steady influx of foreign fighters and increased sectarianism radicalised opposition groups, which relied on foreign funding. The nature of the conflict changed drastically in late 2013 as infighting among the opposition groups increased. One of the more significant developments was the split between the al-Qaeda outfits the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS), and Jabhat al-Nusra in early 2014 in addition to the intensified targeting of other rebel factions by ISIS fighters in particular, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, the FSA and other jihadist outfits. Since the summer of 2014, the conflict was further internationalized when ISIS announced the formation of an Islamic state eroding the state line between Iraq and Syria and also in mid-2015 when Russian forces intervened on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: Faylaq al-Rahman;
Jaysh al-Islam;
Jabhat al-Nusra;
Third parties: -
Description: Short ruling by the Syrian Islamic Council announced by Jaysh al-Islam on behalf of the people of Ghouta, Damascus. Ruling provides for the opening of roads; development of food; a return of factions to their previous territorial holdings and a return of possessions; release of prisoners; a committee will be formed to investigate bloodshed and transfer possessions.

Agreement document: SY_160502_Ceasefire by Jaysh al-Islam_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_160502_Ceasefire by Jaysh al-Islam_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: Power sharing→Military power sharing→Other
Page 2, 5-A committee will be established consisting of three people from each side with the purpose of picking up and delivering the headquarters, the weapons and the belongings.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 2, 1-All the public roads will be opened, all the armed demonstrations (barricades, snipers, blockades) in the freed areas will be cancelled.

Page 2, 2-Food and medical staff will enter as well as the injured will be transported to the hospitals urgently. There will be no resistance to the ambulances and the Civil Defence, and their actions will be facilitated.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: Page 2, 7-A committee will be established to investigate the bloodshed of the two sides, consisting of two judges from each side. The two sides will agree on a favourite judge, under the supervision of the unified judiciary.

Page 2, 8-The decisions of the different old headquarters (before Wednesday) will be taken by the Judicial Committee.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 2, 3-Every faction will return to the place they were before last Wednesday, corresponding to 27/4/2016.

Page 2, 6-The headquarters, the money, the belongings and the weapons will return to every faction as they were before Wednesday.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 2, 4-The detainees will be set free from the two sides, and there will be no resistance to the Mujahideen.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 2, 5-A committee will be established consisting of three people from each side with the purpose of picking up and delivering the headquarters, the weapons and the belongings.

Page 2, 7-A committee will be established to investigate the bloodshed of the two sides, consisting of two judges from each side. The two sides will agree on a favourite judge, under the supervision of the unified judiciary.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Enab Baladi. ‘’Jaysh al-Islam’ proposes Initiative with 12 points to end hostilities in Ghouta’, 2 May 2016, https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/77368

Jaysh al-Islam [The Army of Islam]

The General Command

Number 817

2/5/2016, corresponding to 24 Regep 1437

Statement

A response to the will and initiative of the people of East Ghouta which was put forward on Friday 29/4/2016, and in our concern for the right of bloodshed and the redirecting of rifles in the right direction.

We have therefore announced to them our consent to this ceasefire initiative.

The response of the Legion at the time to the initiative of the people was of indignity and disrespect, by a bloodshed.

They were also dedicated to dividing Ghouta and confirmed their hate, as the Leader of Faylaq al-Rahman [The al-Rahman Legion] said:

“There is always a lot in Jaysh al-Islam, and we will not accept anything else but the status of al-Rahman, we prove it as it is, because we are against the departure of just some civilians”.

Thereafter, the concerned committee made an initiative by making adjustments to the initiative.

They provided it to us and we agreed to it again.

Jaysh al-Islam do indeed show our people in East Ghouta, and in Syria in general, that Jaysh al-Islam immediately responded to the initiative of the Syrian Islamic Council.

It released a statement with the number 6/2016 on 23 Regep 1437, corresponding to 30 April 2016, but we did not hear a response from the other part, except from the answer of a gun in the appearance of Mujahideen and their retreat from the fronts.

They cut off the supply routes.

They were just absorbed in their aggression and military determination and on their siege of the Mujahideen and their families in cooperation with their allies Jaysh al-Fustat [The Army of Fustat] in addition to Qins al-Muwatineen [The Snipers of the Citizens], without respecting the sacredness of blood.

Meanwhile, the brothers in Faylaq al-Rahman announced their preparation for a ceasefire, as this announcement ignored the position of Jabhat al-Nusra [The Nusra Front] and undermined the nation of the two halves in hate.

It did not specify details of the solution.

Afterwards, factions of the Legion raided the area of al-‘Ab at dawn!

Thus, our legal and revolutionary responsibility pledges us to again confirm our agreement to the ceasefire initiative introduced by the people of Ghouta, which listed the following:

1-All the public roads will be opened, all the armed demonstrations (barricades, snipers, blockades) in the freed areas will be cancelled.

2-Food and medical staff will enter as well as the injured will be transported to the hospitals urgently.

There will be no resistance to the ambulances and the Civil Defence, and their actions will be facilitated.

3-Every faction will return to the place they were before last Wednesday, corresponding to 27/4/2016.

4-The detainees will be set free from the two sides, and there will be no resistance to the Mujahideen.

5-A committee will be established consisting of three people from each side with the purpose of picking up and delivering the headquarters, the weapons and the belongings.

6-The headquarters, the money, the belongings and the weapons will return to every faction as they were before Wednesday.

7-A committee will be established to investigate the bloodshed of the two sides, consisting of two judges from each side.

The two sides will agree on a favourite judge, under the supervision of the unified judiciary.

8-The decisions of the different old headquarters (before Wednesday) will be taken by the Judicial Committee.

Tell all our fighting brothers in Faylaq al-Rahman and their allies that your brothers in Jaysh al-Islam must take care of your blood and take care of themselves.

For those of you who want to fire at your brothers and shed their blood, we advise you not to do this. [

Also tell them] that the fronts against the Assad gangs are waiting for us all.

Inform the Assad gangs and their allies, that we are capable – Allah willing – to solve our differences and gather our ranks in order to answer to their aggression and overthrow them.

Allah be behind our intention