HTS declaration

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    HTS declaration
  • Date
    23 Jul 2017
  • Agreement status
    Multiparty signed/agreed
  • Interim arrangement
    Yes
  • Agreement/conflict level
    Intrastate/local conflict ( Syrian Conflicts (1948 - ) (1976 - 2005) (2011 - ) )
  • Stage
    Framework/substantive - partial
  • Conflict nature
    Inter-group
  • Peace process
    Syrian Local Agreements
  • Parties
    The first party: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham represented by brother Abu Obeida al- ‘Askari
    he second party: Ahrar al-Sham movement represented by brother Muhammad Fareed
  • Third parties
    The first witness Sheikh Ahmed Al Khaled
    The second witness Safwan al-Hasan
    The third witness Sheikh Ibrahim al- ‘Awadh Abu Suleiman
  • Description
    -

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. The text mentions that the agreement solves "the internal fighting between the brothers" of HTS and HAS. 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 in Idlib governorate in July 2017.
  • 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
    Mount Shashabo
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    35.562845, 36.444781
  • Participant type
    Local armed group
    Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    Mediator or similar referred to
    Mediator (references)
    The agreement was signed in the presence of the elders of Mount Shashabo represented by: - Sheikh Ahmed al-Khaled Abu Majed - Safwan Ismaeel al-Hasan - Amr Muhammad al-Jasem - Abdul Fattah al-Ahmad - Mahmoud al-Obeid al-Aleiwi - Nuri Hasan al-Othman
    Type of mediator/facilitator/similar
    Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
    Page 1, Done and praise to Allah [...]
  • Grievance List
    The agreement addresses the local grievances that arose from the clashes between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham in Mount Shashabo. It seems that the handover of Ahrar al-Sham's headquarters to the civil population was a main point of contention.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Done and praise to Allah and in the presence of all of the elderly [elders] people of Mount Shamshabo represented by

1. Sheikh Ahmed al-Khaled Abu Majed

2. Safwan Ismaeel al-Hasan

3. Amr Muhammad al-Jasem

4. Abdul Fattah al-Ahmad

5. Mahmoud al-Obeid al-Aleiwi

6. Nuri Hasan al-Othman

-Neutralize Mount Shamshabo starting from the village of Felfil in the north to the village of al- ‘Arima in the south.

[discussion] about 1.

The internal fighting between the brothers in the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [Organization for the Liberation of the Levant] and the brothers in the Ahrar al- Sham [full name is Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, translate into English as the Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant]

2. Handover Rasha headquarter of Ahrar al-Sham Movement to brother Safwan al-Hasan and Abdul Fattah al-Ahmad as they are people of the land [the owners of the land]

The first party The second party Hayat Tahrir al-Sham represented by brother Ahrar al- Sham movement represented by brother Abu Obeida al- ‘Askari Muhammad Fareed

[Signature] [Signature]

The first witness The second witness The third witnes Sheikh Ahmed Al Khaled Safwan al-Hasan Sheikh Ibrahim al- ‘Awadh Abu Suleiman

[Signature] [Signature] [Signature]