• Country/entity

  Syria
  

• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  

• Agreement name

  Untitled Agreement [between Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Northern Storm Brigade]

• Date

  19 Sep 2013

• 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

  Capt Ahmad Ghazalah [Signed] Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS; ISIL);
  Abu Abdulrahman al-Kuwaiti [Signed] Northern Storm Front

• Third parties

  Witnesses: Abu Tawfiq [signed] (Al-Tawhid Brigade) Abu Ibrahim al-Shishani (ISIS) [Note] a brigade is specified to operate as the barrier between the two parties, but the name is illegible.

• Description

  Short ceasefire between ISIS and Northern Storm Brigade

• Agreement document

  SY_130919_Ceasefire between ISIS and Northern Storm Brigade_EN.pdf | Download PDF

• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_130919_Ceasefire between ISIS and Northern Storm Brigade_AR.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Isolated example
  

• Rationale

  -> Local issues only; external support mechanism; no culture of signing It is unclear whether a formally-established mechanism supported the negotiation - two witnesses were present. 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. Finally, nothing supports the claim that the signing parties engaged in a culture of signing agreements in this locale. Tensions between the two groups increase only in September 2013, that is, 4 months after the agreement.

• 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

  City

• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  36.586775, 37.046692

• Participant type

  Local armed group
  

• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Untitled Agreement [between Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Northern Storm Brigade]

20 April 2013

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praises be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon his Prophet

This is what was agreed upon between the two sides:

First:

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant

Second:

Northern Storm Brigade

Agreement:

Implementing an immediate ceasefire

Releasing all detainees who were detained because of the problems within 24 hours from the date of the agreement

Returning all of the property taken by both sides

The [ILLEGIBLE] Brigade shall be a barrier between the two sides until the problem in Aghraz ends.

The reference for any dispute between them will be a Shariah Board [illegible] of both sides.

First Party:

Abu Abdulrahman Al Kuwaiti

[Signed]

Second Party:

Capt.

Ahmad Ghazalah

[Signed]

First Witness:

Abu Tawfiq – Al Tawhid Brigade

[Signed]

Second Witness:

Abu Ibrahim Al Shishani

[Signed]

Most likely:

‘consisting’