Agreement between National Front for Liberation and the Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS)

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Agreement between National Front for Liberation and the Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS)
  • Date
    6 Oct 2018
  • 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
    Representative of the National Front Liberation
    Abu Al Bara’a Hasan Soufan
    [Signed]

    Representative of the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham
    Dr. Madhhar Luwais
    [Signed]
  • Third parties
    -
  • Description
    Four point agreement providing for (1) removal of armed presence from town; (2) release of prisoners; (3) for the courts to decide on civilian's rights; and (4) that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is responsible for persons killed and property taken during the last ceasefire violation.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Informal but persistent process
  • Rationale
    -> Local issues only; no external support mechanism; culture of signing No formally established mechanism supported the negotiation between the two armed groups. 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 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) 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. The agreement is related to multiple local level processes in Idlib and Aleppo governorates in 2018.
  • 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
    Kafr Halab, Mizanaz, Kafr Nuran
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    36.060710, 36.873517
  • Participant type
    Local armed group
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

    Page 1, All praises be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Prophet of Allah, his family, his companions, and his allies.
  • Grievance List
    While the agreement only mentions "the recent problems" between the signing parties, it lists four provisions to solve local grievances:

    Page 1,
    - Removing the military manifestations and bringing back civilian life to its normal state in the areas of the conflict
    - Immediately releasing all of the people who were detained, from either side, because of the most recent events and immediately searching for and apprehending those wanted by the law
    - With regards to the civilians and their rights, these issues are referred to a judicial committee that is to be agreed upon within a week from the date of this statement
    - Hayat Tahrir Al Sham’s guarantee for the most recent violation of the ceasefire that was agreed upon, and it is responsible for the people killed and property taken
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

Agreement between National Front for Liberation and the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praises be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Prophet of Allah, his family, his companions, and his allies.

An agreement has been reached between the brothers in the National Front for Liberation and the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham with regards to the recent problem, and it is as follows:

- Removing the military manifestations and bringing back civilian life to its normal state in the areas of the conflict

- Immediately releasing all of the people who were detained, from either side, because of the most recent events and immediately searching for and apprehending those wanted by the law

- With regards to the civilians and their rights, these issues are referred to a judicial committee that is to be agreed upon within a week from the date of this statement

- Hayat Tahrir Al Sham’s guarantee for the most recent violation of the ceasefire that wasagreed upon, and it is responsible for the people killed and property taken

Representative of the National Front LiberationAbu Al Bara’a Hasan Soufan

[Signed]

Representative of the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham Dr. Madhhar Luwais

[Signed]

Date:

6/10/2018