• Country/entity

  Syria
  

• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  

• Agreement name

  Deed of Agreement (between the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Operations Room of Aleppo)

• Date

  19 Dec 2015

• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed

• Interim arrangement

  Yes

• Agreement/conflict level

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

• Stage

  Ceasefire/related

• Conflict nature

  Inter-group

• Peace process

  Syrian Local Agreements

• Parties

  People's Protection Units (YPG;
  Operations Room of Aleppo

• Third parties

  -

• Description

  Short ceasefire agreement between the non-state actors, the People's Protection Units and the Operations Room of Aleppo, including access and mobility provisions and shared sovereignty of areas.

• Agreement document

  SY_151219_Instrument of Agreement between YPG and FOR, Aleppo_EN.pdf | Download PDF

• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_151219_Instrument of Agreement between YPG and FOR, Aleppo_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Informal but persistent process
  

• Rationale

  -> Link to national level; no external support mechanism; culture of signing There is no formally established mechanism to support the negotiation between Salafi armed groups. Moreover, this agreement cannot be linked to the national peace process. Indeed, both groups oppose the rule of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and reject the idea of a national negotiation to solve the conflict. Yet, it seems that both signing parties choose to solve the conflicts related to their armed struggle through agreements (see references). Although one cannot speak of a “culture” of singing peace agreements, the parties are involved (in a non-proactive and non-conscious way) in a persistent practice of signing local agreements.

• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No

• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  No link to the national peace process in Syria is mentioned in the agreement, neither it can be inferred from further research. First, the agreement does not involve local governance actors; and the signing parties themselves are not official state representative. Second, all parties to the agreement reject the national peace process, as it would maintain Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government in power. The agreement is a "In response to the initiative of the Shura and Reconciliation Council in Aleppo between the two parties."

• Name of Locale

  Afrin, Sheikh Maqsoud

• Nature Of Locale

  Region

• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  36.508416, 36.866926

• Participant type

  Local armed group
  

• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Deed of Agreement (between the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Operations Room of Aleppo)

To prevent bloodshed, and in response to the initiative of the Shura Council and for reconciliation in Aleppo between the parties, the following items were agreed:

1. A mutual ceasefire between the parties

2. The crossing of civilians from Sheikh Maqsoud to Afrin and vice versa [through] safe areas and barriers under control of the Fatah [Operations] Room of Aleppo, and in regards to fighters, it can be coordinated in advance.

3. Closure of the crossing located in the Sheikh Maqsoud area connecting the areas under control of the regime and the formation of a Coordination Committee between the parties to monitor the closure.

4. Opening of crossings leading to Afrin.

5. Access of factions of the Fatah Operations Room to eastern Sheikh Maqsoud in accordance with the Revolutionary Army and the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

6. The Sheikh Maqsoud checkpoint (on the railway) is shared between the two parties.

7. Forming a military committee from both sides to implement what is agreed above, and study the divided sites for approval or rejection.

The Agreement is valid on 8:00pm on Saturday 19/12/2015