Second Ceasefire between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)

• Country/entity

  Syria
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  Second Ceasefire between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
• Date

  23 Jul 2017
• Agreement status

  Unilateral document
• 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

  Commander of Harikat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, Abu ‘Amar al-Amr [Signed]
  Commander of Harikat Tahrir al-Sham, [Illegible] [Sighed]
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  An implementation ceasefire agreement attempting to re-implement the ceasefire reached 2 days previous. Calls for a ceasefire, the ability of fighters from Ahrar al-Sham to joined Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to return to their original units and for resolving the issues that emerged following the previous ceasefire.

• Agreement document

  SY_170723_Second Ceasefire between Ahrar al-Sham and HTS_EN.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_170723_Second Ceasefire between Ahrar al-Sham and HTS_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Informal but persistent process
  
• Rationale

  -> Local issues only; 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 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. Yet, the agreement is related to multiple local level processes in Idlib governorate in July 2017.
• Name of Locale

  NA
• Nature Of Locale

  Region
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  35.932089, 36.635221
• Participant type

  Local armed group
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  Mediator or similar referred to
  Mediator (references)

  The initiative of the mediation was launched by three clerics: Sheikh Abu Mohammed al-Sadiq, Sheikh Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi, and Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri.
  Type of mediator/facilitator/similar

  Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Local issues

Second agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and Harikat Tahrir al-Sham, 23 July 2017

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful

Agreement Parties:

the Commanders of Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya and Harikat Tahrir al-Sham signed Sunday, 23/07/2017.

1) Adhere to the previous agreement signed on Friday between the two parties.

2) Cessation of hostilities

3) Any issues arising from Friday’s agreement shall be solved in 5 days.

4) Any fighters from Ahrar al-Sham that joined Harikat Tahrir al-Sham under threat of force can return.

Commander of Harikat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, Abu ‘Amar al-Amr [Signed]

Commander of Harikat Tahrir al-Sham, [Illegible] [Sighed]