Country/entity

Syria

Region

Middle East and North Africa

Agreement name

Statement by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham on Ceasefire in Kansafra

Date

8 Oct 2016

Agreement status

Multiparty signed/agreed

Interim arrangement

Yes

Agreement/conflict level

Intrastate/local conflict

Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - )

The agreements relate to three different conflict contexts. Israel-Syria and Syria-Lebanon. The Syrian-Israeli conflict was a key factor for the Syrian intervention during the Lebanese Civil War, with Syrian-backed Palestinian Liberation Army units intervened in 1976 against the Palestinian/Leftist militias. Following a massacre at Tel al-Zaatar that year, Syria was forced to accept a ceasefire at a meeting of the Arab League. However, the Arab League also mandated an Arab Deterrence Force, consisting of mostly Syrian soldiers with token contributions from other Arab League states, thus further legitimizing the Syrian presence in Lebanon. During a second bout of fighting that began in 1989, caused by the formation of rival Lebanese regimes in East and West Beirut, the Syrian-backed regime won and in 1991 the ‘Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination’ was signed to legalize the Syrian occupation as a means to ensure the security of Syria. Syrian forces were forced to withdraw in 2005 following possible involvement in the assassination of Lebanon’s President Hariri.

Syria-internal. In 2011, domestic upheaval following a wave of protests across the Arab World soon led to violent repression of protestors by Syrian government troops. The violence progressed steadily and by July 2011 the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was formed consisting of defected military units and new recruits. The FSA and rebel umbrella group known as the Syrian National Council represented the first attempt at coordinating rebel factions in late 2011. However, a steady influx of foreign fighters and increased sectarianism radicalised opposition groups, which relied on foreign funding. The nature of the conflict changed drastically in late 2013 as infighting among the opposition groups increased. One of the more significant developments was the split between the al-Qaeda outfits the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS), and Jabhat al-Nusra in early 2014 in addition to the intensified targeting of other rebel factions by ISIS fighters in particular, including the Kurdish Peshmerga, the FSA and other jihadist outfits. Since the summer of 2014, the conflict was further internationalized when ISIS announced the formation of an Islamic state eroding the state line between Iraq and Syria and also in mid-2015 when Russian forces intervened on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government in Damascus.

Close

Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - )

Stage

Ceasefire/related

Conflict nature

Inter-group

Peace process

Syrian Local Agreements

Parties

Kansafra Council;
The Dawah Council in Kansafra;
Jabhat Fatah al-Sham in Kansafra (Abu Jassim and Abu Ishaq)

Third parties

-

Description

Statement by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS) on the ceasefire between Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham in Kansafra pledging to do their part in helping. Main points are: (1) a prohibition among JFS on hostilities against other mujahideen; and (2) prohibition on checkpoints.

Agreement document

SY_161008_Jabhat Fatah al-Sham in Kansafra_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Agreement document (original language)

SY_161008_Jabhat Fatah al-Sham in Kansafra_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type

Isolated example

Rationale

-> Local issues only; external support mechanism; no culture of signing The agreement is a call for peace among Jihadi groups and is related to the protection of jihadists in the village of Kansafra. It is highly localised and was not supported by any formally established mechanism. Neither the issue at stake nor the signing of agreements seems persistent in this instance, suggesting that there is no culture of peace process.

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. Although two of the signing parties are local governance actors; the third party is a Salafi-Jihadi group that rejects the national peace process, as it would maintain Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government in power.

Name of Locale

Kansafra

Nature of Locale

City

GPS Lat/Long (DD)

35.667498, 36.486457

Participant type

Local state actor
Local armed group
Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Mediator, facilitator or similar

No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)

Page 1, Allah (SWT) says:
“And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Quran 49:9)

Page 1, It is sad to watch our brothers the mujahideen from Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham fighting and shedding each other’s blood, which is forbidden. Based on what Allah has said, and His order to his servants to help other believers who are fighting amongst themselves reach a solution and rule between them with justice, as well as to preserve the blood of our people and our brothers, we, the people of the village of Kansafra in general, and specifically the mujahideen from Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, will not allow anyone, no matter which group they are affiliated with from among our brothers the mujahideen, to attack any of the other mujahideen in the village.

Page 1, We hope that anyone who believes that they have been wronged and are in the right will go to the Shariah judiciary to get their rights back, and we have, all praise be to Allah, knowledgeable people who can help us not need to take these actions. Allah says: “And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.” (Quran 4:59)

Page 1, All Praises be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds

Grievance List

Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it seems that is addresses the grievances that arose from the clashes between Salafi-jihadi groups in the city of Kansafra.

Cattle rustling/banditry

No specific mention.

Social cover

No specific mention.