Agreement between Fatah al-Halab and the People's Protection Units on the Sheikh Maqsoud area and roads to Afrin

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Agreement between Fatah al-Halab and the People's Protection Units on the Sheikh Maqsoud area and roads to Afrin
  • Date
    15 Dec 2015
  • 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
    Aleppo Operation Room                                                                
    People's Protection Units
  • Third parties
    -
  • Description
    The parties agree to a ceasefire and to regulate civilian access routes. The hand written note in the original translation described the agreement coming into force as of 'September 19/2/2015' however the agreement was made on 15/12/2015 and the attached source describes it coming into force on the Saturday which is 19/12/2015. The translation has therefore been changed, please see source in implementation section.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Informal but persistent process
  • Rationale
    There does not seem to be much by way of supporting mechanism to enforce besides the military committee formed by both parties. Nonetheless the source attached to the agreement suggests that this agreement appears to be related to other agreements around the same time in Aleppo, whereby there is a response to the initiative set out by the Shura reconciliation council in Aleppo.
  • Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
    No
  • Link to national process: articulated rationale
    No link can be inferred from this agreement as it is signed by local actors who have generally been opposed to national institutions and have taken a stance against resolution being led at national level.
  • Name of Locale
    Sheikh Maqsoud
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    36.237175, 37.153401
  • 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, God Bless
  • Grievance List
    While the agreement does not mention causes of the dispute, sources indicate that the Army of Revolutionaries recently joined the SDF faction and began fighting alongside the Kurdish People's Protection Units. Yet, Aleppo Operation Room accused the Kurdish faction of being “workers and treason” after carrying out what it said was a massacre against civilians in the northern Aleppo countryside in November.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

Act of agreement

To avoid bloodshed and in response to the initiative launched by the Shura and Reconciliation Council in Aleppo by the parties, the following items were agreed upon:

1- The cease the fire between the two parties

2- Civilians crossing from Sheikh Maqsoud to Afrin, and vice versa, [are] secure in areas and checkpoints that are under the control of the Aleppo operational room, and with regard to [the crossing of] military personnel, it will be based on a prior coordination

3- Closure of the crossing in the Sheikh Maqsoud Sharqi [East] area, that links to the areas controlled by the [Assad’s] regime, and forming a joint committee from both sides to monitor the closure

4- Open the crossings [Roads] that lead to Afrin.

5- The factions of the Aleppo Operation Room factions to enter Sheikh Maqsoud Sharqi in accordance to agreement between the Army of Revolutionaries and the People's Protection [Units Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, YPG]

6-

7- Sheikh Maqsood checkpoint, "Al-Seka", shared by both parties

8- Forming a military committee from both parties to implement the agreed points and study the [military] construction sites, to approve or reject them.

Note:

The agreement will enter into force immediately upon formal signature, publication, and the announcement

God Bless

[handwriting note] This Agreement entered into force December 19/12/2015

Tuesday 3 Rabi 'al-Awwal 1437,

December 15, 2015

Aleppo Operation Room People's Protection Units

[Signature] [Stamp] [Signature] [stamp]