Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib

• Country/entity

  Syria
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib
• Date

  22 Jan 2017
• 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

  1 – Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya [Signed]
  2 – Former Jund al-Aqsa [Signed]
• Third parties

  Page 1, The following terms:
  ... 6 – Jabhat al-Nusra will be the guarantors for implementing the decisions of the unison Judicial Committee in this agreement.
• Description

  Short ceasefire agreement between two opposition groups and guaranteed by Jabhat al-Nusra calling for a ceasefire; prisoner release; a return of captured territory; the formation of a judicial committee and a return of captured items.

• Agreement document

  SY_170122_Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib_EN.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_170122_Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Informal but persistent process
  
• Rationale

  -> Local issues only; no external support mechanism; no 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 have a Salafist ideology; they 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 daily pragmatic issues related to their armed struggle through agreements. 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
• Name of Locale

  NA
• Nature Of Locale

  Region
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  35.814065, 36.318833
• Participant type

  Local armed group
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

In the name of Allah the Merciful

But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in submission.

Sura an-Nisa 65.

On Sunday 24th of the Second Spring 1438, corresponding to 22/1/2017, it was agreed between the two specific sides:

1 – Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya [The Free Movement of Islamic Levant]

2 – Former Jund al-Aqsa [Former Garrison of al-Aqsa]

The following terms:

1 – There will be an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.

2 – Both sides will hand over all the detainees of Jabhat al-Nusra [Al-Nusra Front] imprisoned during the last fighting and release them directly.

3 – All the areas will return to whom they belonged before the last fighting.

4 – The formation of the Judicial Committee, consisting of:

- Chairman Sheikh Abu Majid

- Member ‘Abd al-Razaq al-Mahdi

- Member Abu Yousaf al-Hamawi

Have decided to file all the past detainees and those who took them from both sides.

5 – Both sides will hand over to their owners all the equipment, tools, weapons and headquarters they took during the last [round of] fighting.

6 – Jabhat al-Nusra will be the guarantors for implementing the decisions of the unison Judicial Committee in this agreement.

7 – The implementation of this agreement comes into force directly after the two sides have signed.

God is the Arbiter of Success

May Prayers and Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad

Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiya [Illegible]

Former Jund al-Aqsa [Illegible]