East Qalamoun Ceasefire
Export agreement coding (PDF)Country/entity
SyriaRegion
Middle East and North AfricaAgreement name
East Qalamoun CeasefireDate
5 Sep 2017Agreement status
Multiparty signed/agreedInterim arrangement
YesAgreement/conflict level
Intrastate/local conflict ( )Stage
Ceasefire/relatedConflict nature
GovernmentPeace process
Intra-Syrian Process (state/non-state)Parties
Factions of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by: Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya, Faylaq al-Rahman, Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo, Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya, Shuhada’ al- Qurateyn, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam;
Russian Federation.
Two illegible signatures.Third parties
-Description
Agreement between Russia and coalition of opposition groups calling for a ceasefire as part of a political process, that includes a separation of troops as well as the end to attacks. The Syrian opposition may continue to pursue fighters from the Islamic State. Agreement aims to improve humanitarian conditions allowing access to goods and building materials. A local council rules all civic activities. Russia guarantees the agreement and concentrates forces on the separation line.
Agreement document
Agreement document (original language)
Local agreement properties
Process type
Formal structured processRationale
-> Link to national level; external support mechanism; culture of signing A regional mechanism (under the auspices of Russia) supported the negotiation of the agreement. Moreover, Russia – one of the signing parties – has quickly assumed a central role in the negotiations between Bashar al-Assad government and the opposition factions, aiming at bringing a definitive end to the Syrian conflict.Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
YesLink to national process: articulated rationale
It seems that the agreement is directly linked to the national peace process. The document refers to the Russian Federation as “one of the guarantor states of the [national] stabilisation process” in Syria. Furthermore, both parties agree to respect the “principle of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as its territorial integrity” that lies at the centre of negotiation to bring an end to the Syrian conflict. The signing parties also agree to respect “the necessity of the cease of fighting within a comprehensive solution in Syria”.Name of Locale
East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba)Nature Of Locale
RegionGPS Lat/Long (DD)
33.871662, 36.815218Participant type
Central state actor
Local armed groupMediator, facilitator or similar
No mention of mediator or similar
Local issues
- Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
No specific mention.
- Grievance ListThe agreement addresses grievances that arose from the clashes between opposition factions and Syrian government forces in Qalamoun and East Qalamoun.
- Cattle rustling/banditry
No specific mention.
- Social cover
No specific mention.
Agreement of Ceasefire in East Qalamoun
(Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba)
Factions of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya [The Industrial Brigade] in Faylaq al-Rahman [The al-Rahman Legion], Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo [The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-‘Abdo], Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya [The Eastern Black Army], Shuhada’ al- Qurateyn [The Witnesses of the Two Villages], Ahrar al-Sham [The Free Men of the Levant] and Jaysh al-Islam [The Army of Islam] - referred to as side one in this agreement - and the Russian Federation, considered as one of the guarantor states of the stabilisation process - referred to as side two for the purpose of this agreement – agree to respect their fathers regarding the principle of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as its territorial integrity. [
They also agree to respect] the necessity of the cease of fighting within a comprehensive solution in Syria, based on the international resolutions, especially the Declaration of Geneva and the Security Council’s Resolution number 2118 and Resolution number 2254 and the Ankara Agreement for Ceasefire dated 29-12- 2016 and the Agreement of Areas of Reduction of Escalation.
They agree on the shared will of the faction of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al- Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya in Faylaq al- Rahman, Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo and Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya, Shuhada’ al-Qurateyn, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam and the Russian Federation to reach an agreement, stating the following:
1-The preamble to this agreement is recognised as a part that cannot be divided from this agreement.
2-The two sides commit to a ceasefire and to join the state of ending violent operations and they welcome an area of ceasefire in in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba).
A committee will be formed of the two sides to determine the geographical coordinates that reflect civilian rights on the map.
3-Both sides pledge to stop all hostilities against the other front from the date that the mentioned committee determined in principle number two.
Both sides will also instantly stop using all types of weapons, including air, rocket and artillery attacks and mortar shells as well as light weapons.
4-When the ceasefire enters into force, separation lines will be drawn between the two contending fronts on a map, reflecting the reality and the land rights of the two contending fronts at the time of the signature of the agreement.
5-Side two commits to facilitate side one’s pursuit in their fight against the organisation Da’esh [ISIS].
6-The two sides commit to the full application of the agreement and the full cease of all military operations in the area of the ceasefire and [the area] that includes East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba).
That includes all air, rocket and artillery attacks.
All violations of the decisions in this agreement are punishable according to the ceasefire agreed on in Ankara on 29-12-2016.
7-The two sides urgently take all necessary measures to improve the humanitarian situation in the area of the ceasefire.
To achieve this goal, both sides facilitate the urgent entry of food and medicine relief as well as other humanitarian needs through the four crossing points side one controls by the entrances of Dhameer, Raheeba, Jeerood and Nasriyya.
The same applies to the evacuation of injured people to Syrian or Russian hospitals, according to their will.
The signing of this agreement also allows the entry of all necessary materials for the reconstruction process and that are determined upon the request of part one.
Representatives of the Russian Federation will undertake the inspection of the convoys.
8-Side two commits to facilitate all civil, economic and commercial transactions and activities as well as to allow the entry of a sufficient number of goods to the area of the ceasefire, determined by side one, without any additional taxes or fees to the prices.
For the purpose of this agreement, goods refer to food, medicines, medical equipment, fuel, raw materials, building materials, all electrical and mechanical devices and equipment, in addition to everything regarded as necessary to improve the city.
9-The area of the ceasefire is managed through the current local council that runs all civil activities.
This committee peacefully establishes a justice committee with the mission of reforms (according to the common customs) between the inhabitants of the area.
10-It is allowed, with the permission of the two sides, and when there is a need, to add any items, records, attachments, separate materials or protocols to enforce the realisation of the decisions in this agreement and to clarify it.
11-Side one recognises the acceptance of the Russian Federation as the guarantor for the implementation of this agreement.
They also accept that this side establishes control forces for the cease of acts of aggression.
These forces concentrate on the length of the front line between the two contending fronts according to the map drawn after the meeting of the mentioned committee in principle two of this agreement.
12-When this ceasefire comes into force, a committee representing the two sides will be formed, in addition to the Russian Federation as guarantor, in order to facilitate the individual release of all detainees, abductees and forcefully absent people from both fronts for a period of one month.
13-This agreement is regarded as an introduction to creating a sound environment for implementing the comprehensive political solution according to the mentioned international resolutions in the preamble above.
It is not considered as a substitute for them in any occasion.
14-The implementation of this agreement starts from the date of the signing of the two sides.
Signed on 5-9-2017 in two copies in the Arabic and Russian language.
Both copies enjoy the same legal force in the Arabic and Russian language.
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