Deal between Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and the Aleppo People’s Initiative on power station access

• Country/entity

  Syria
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  Deal between Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and the Aleppo People’s Initiative on power station access
• Date

  1 Sep 2012
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - ) )
• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  Syrian Local Agreements
• Parties

  Syrian Army;
  Governor of Aleppo;
  Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, Willayat Aleppo, Western Division;
• Third parties

  Aleppo People's Initiative, headed by Tariq 'Aturah.
• Description

  Humanitarian agreement allowing for the evacuation of a wounded soldier from the Aleppo power station, agreement also provides for a 48 hour ceasefire to allow farmers to harvest their crops near the station.

• Agreement document

  SY_120900_ISIS_Aleppo Deal_EN.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_120900_ISIS_Aleppo Deal_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Isolated example
  
• Rationale

  -> Local issues only; no external support mechanism; no culture of signing No formally established-mechanism supported the negotiation between the signing parties. Moreover, this agreement cannot be linked to the national peace process. Indeed, ISIS has a Salafi-Jihadi ideology; it opposes the rule of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and rejects the idea of a national negotiation to solve the conflict. No element can establish a culture solving daily pragmatic issues through agreements. The agreement is related to a highly specific and localised issue. Moreover, the agreement mentions that it aims to "protect the wellbeing of the Muslim employees" and refers to the Syrian army as "the armies of the Apostate State". This agreement is an exception in 2012 as ISIS usually fully reject negotiations with representatives of the Syrian state.
• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No
• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  It is complicated to link the agreement to the national peace process in Syria, although it involves central and local governance actors. IS and the Syrian government officially do not recognise each other, it seems that the agreement was pushed by the local community. Also, IS rejects the national peace process, as it would maintain Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government in power.
• Name of Locale

  Hurariyya
• Nature Of Locale

  Smaller
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  36.175459, 37.437222
• Participant type

  Central state actor
  Local state actor
  Local armed group
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to
  Mediator (references)

  Aleppo People's Initiative
  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

  Local armed group Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations

Local issues

Statement

To whom it may concern,

For the world to note that soldiers and armies of the Apostate State captured and detained staff in the Hurruriyya Station in the countryside east of Aleppo.

In response, soldiers of the Islamic State sniped two [of them], killing one and wounding another.

After these events the existing besieged army [in the station] undertook the capture and detainment of the workers inside the station and exposed them to harassment, insults, swearing and threats, and stating that they would not part with those they captured until the entrance of a doctor [to attend] to the wounded soldier.

To protect the wellbeing of the Muslim employees, we granted a doctor access and diagnosed the situation of the wounded opponent.

After glimpsing the situation and diagnosing it, it appeared that he was in need of a hospital for his treatment, but they refused to release the staff despite them having no relationship to the fighting between both sides.

After the call of the Aleppo People's Initiative, headed by Eng.

Tarif ‘Aturah, we entered into a parlay with the besieged army and the Governor of Aleppo, and we agreed on the following:

1. To allow the peasants and farmers from around the station access to their lands.

2. The opposing army commits that no bad will fall upon the employees and commits to their release and that no harm or harassment comes to them in the future.

The Islamic State is exonerated from any responsibility from anyone who reneges on this commitment in front of Allah and the people.

3. The wounded Apostate will exit the station based on the People's initiative with his personal weapons and will hand such weapons over the Islamic State.

During the period of his travel from areas under the influence and control of the Islamic State to the areas of influence and control of the Apostate State, the Islamic State will take care to commit to the these terms unless the agreement is disputed by the apostates.

The farmers are provided 48 hours to harvest their farmed crops, during which there will be a ceasefire between the two sides.

In the case of a breach ending the ceasefire, this agreement is voided.

After this, it is on us to adopt a course of action we see as appropriate with the besieged soldiers ... and Allah will adjudicate what we say.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Willayat Aleppo

Official of the Western Division