Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham, Desert Sector (AAS), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Northern Desert Sector (HTS), on Tel Touqan.

• Country/entity

  Syria
  
• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  
• Agreement name

  Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham, Desert Sector (AAS), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Northern Desert Sector (HTS), on Tel Touqan.
• Date

  14 Jul 2017
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - ) )
• Stage

  Pre-negotiation/process
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  Syrian Local Agreements
• Parties

  [Illegible] al-Hashimi [signature]
  Al-Sheikh Walid al-Sulayman [signature]
  
  Representing Ahrar al-Sham (Desert Sector) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Northern Desert Sector) (HTS)
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  4-point confidence building measures agreement aiming to resolve tensions between HTS and Ahrar al-Sham around Tel Touqan village (30km east of Idlib). Agreement provides for the release of detainees; removal of checkpoints and opening of roads; referring the cause of Tel Touqan to the Sharia Committee and agreement on the earlier ruling on Tel Touqan.

• Agreement document

  SY_170714_Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and HTS_EN.pdf | Download PDF
• Agreement document (original language)

  SY_170714_Agreement 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

  Tal Touqan
• Nature Of Locale

  City
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  35.829063, 36.959018
• Participant type

  Local armed group
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah and on his family and his companions and those who follow him.

There was an agreement between the two [sides].

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Northern Desert Sector

Ahrar al-Sham Desert Sector

 The release of detainees from both sides.

 Removal of armed checkpoints and lookouts, and the opening of roads.

 To refer the Tal Touqan1 case to the Sharia Committee.

 Agreed upon the previous Tal Touqan issue.

God bless.

[Illegible] al-Hashimi Al-Sheikh Walid al-Sulayman

[signature] [signature]