Agreement between People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Operations Room 'Libtik ya Ukhtah' on status of Sheikh Maqsoud

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Agreement between People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Operations Room 'Libtik ya Ukhtah' on status of Sheikh Maqsoud
Date: 3 May 2015
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: These terms are the terms which were agreed on between the Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Ukhtah” and Wahadat Himayya al-Sha’ab [The People’s Protection Unit (YPG)].
Third parties: - Tajam Fastaqim Kama Umirt [The Fastaqim Kama Umirt Union]
- Farqa 16 [Brigade 16]
Description: Agreement between YPG and opposition faction 'Libtik ya Ukhtah' to extradite offender to Shari'ah court; prisoner release, and a prohibition on harassment of women.

Agreement document: SY_150504_Agreement between YPG and FSA on status of Sheikh Maqsoud_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_150504_Agreement between YPG and FSA on status of Sheikh Maqsoud_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Formal structured process
Rationale: -> Local issues only; external support mechanism; culture of signing A formally-established mechanism apparently supported the negotiation between the signing groups, as the negotiation was mediated by two third parties. 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 (especially the YPG) choose to solve the conflicts related to their armed struggle through 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.
Name of Locale: Sheikh Maqsud
Nature of Locale: Smaller
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 36.233387, 37.150269
Participant type: Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references): Tajam Fastaqim Kama Umirt and Farqa 16
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar: Local armed group

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): Page 1, In the name of Allah the Merciful
Grievance List: Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it lists six provisions to address local grievances. It seems that the confrontation between the Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Ukhtah” and the People’s Protection Unit in the area of Sheikh Maqsud lies at the centre of the dispute.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

In the name of Allah the Merciful

These terms are the terms which were agreed on between the Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Ukhtah” and Wahadat Himayya al-Sha’ab [The People’s Protection Unit (YPG)].

1. The offenders will hand over their weapons to the Sharia Committee in the Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Uktah” in addition to the evil of the two mediators:

- Tajam Fastaqim Kama Umirt [The Fastaqim Kama Umirt Union]

- Farqa 16 [Brigade 16]

With Wahadat Himayya al-Sha’ab YPG represented during the investigation and the trial, it was agreed that the headquarters of the Sharia Committee will be the headquarters of al-Shubha al- Shamiyya in Sheikh Maqsud.

Surrender the people that admitted to Anas Jarkas to the shooting to the same commission [Shari'ah Board] to investigate the facts and pursue those that fired on the buildings of al-Kastlu and Rahba.

The Eastern connecting checkpoints of Sheikh Maqsud will be isolated from the Western ones.

Sheikh Maqsud is one of the liberated neighbourhoods of Aleppo and the same applies to it as applies to the neighbourhoods of Aleppo that share the same status.

It is not self- governed.

The harassment of women is forbidden, and this applies to all factions inside the neighbourhood, as in any other neighbourhood in liberated Aleppo.

It has been agreed that all prisons in all areas will be ‘whitened’.

The shared factions in Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Ukhtah” pledge to follow up all detained Kurdish prisoners in factions and ensure their safe departure

- Note:

- The implementation of the terms will take effect from Monday 16 Rajab 1436, corresponding to 4/5/2015.

- The ‘whitening’ [emptying] of the prisons will take effect from the same date for a period of maximum 5 days.

Ghurfa ‘Amliat “Libik Ya Ukhtah” The President of the Office of Security Relations of Wahadat Himayya al-Sha’ab YPG

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Agreement between People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Operations Room 'Libtik ya Ukhtah' on status of Sheikh Maqsoud

Local agreement properties

Local issues

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