Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on the al-Alawin checkpoint issue, Jisr al-Shughur

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on the al-Alawin checkpoint issue, Jisr al-Shughur
  • Date
    15 Jun 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
    Ahrar al-Sham Movement, signed by Abu al-Baha’ Wustani
    Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, signed by Abu al-Bara al-Kastan
  • Third parties
    Jaysh al-Fatah Court is named as the mediating party.
  • Description
    3-point agreement on the issue of the al-Alawin checkpoint wherein a fighter from Ahrar al-Sham was killed. Agreement states that HTS will hand over the killer; that the case is referred to Jaysh al-Fatah court; and that the court will also decide on the matter of the checkpoint, which is temporarily handed over to Ahrar al-Sham.

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. 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 and around Idlib during summer 2017.
  • Name of Locale
    al-Alawin
  • Nature Of Locale
    Smaller
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    35.812735, 36.312182
  • Participant type
    Local armed group
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    Mediator or similar referred to
    Mediator (references)
    Jaysh al-Fatah Court
    Type of mediator/facilitator/similar
    Local armed group

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

    Page 1, Praise be to God and prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.
  • Grievance List
    The agreement addresses the grievances that arose from the construction of a barrier by Tahrir al-Sham on a territory controlled by Ahrar al-Sham. The dispute resulted in the death of one man in the ranks of Ahrar al-Sham.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

Praise be to God and prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah.

The two sides Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Ahrar al-Sham – on the problem of a dispute caused by the construction of a barrier in the area of al-Alawin by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that killed one of the brothers from Ahrar al-Sham – agreed on the following:

1. The murderer is immediately handed over to the Executive Force of the Jaysh al-Fatah.

2. The case is referred to the Jaysh al-Fatah court to decide on the murder.

3. The barrier will remain in the hands of Ahrar al-Sham until the Jaysh al-Fath court makes a decision.

Ahrar al-Sham Movement

Abu al-Baha’ Wustani

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

Abu al-Bara al-Kastan

Release Date:

15/06/2017

Approved:

15/06/2017