Agreement between Tahrir al-Sham and operations room Fathbatu

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Agreement between Tahrir al-Sham and operations room Fathbatu
  • Date
    26 Jun 2020
  • 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
    From Tahrir al-Sham
    Abu Hafs Nibsh

    From Operations Room Fathbatu
    Abu Abdul al-Allah al-Suri
  • Third parties
    -
  • Description
    Five point agreement between Tahrir al-Sham and the "Fathbatu" Operation Room providing for a ceasefire in the areas of Arab Saeed and Al-Roj Plain, west of Idlib, and the lifting of barriers and checkpoints, provided that the people of the village of Arab Saeed keep with their personal weapons. Members from both parties accused of violence are brought to the "Turkistan Islamic Party" faction for judicial consideration.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Informal but persistent process
  • Rationale
    No formally established mechanism supported the negotiation between the two armed groups. Moreover, this agreement cannot be linked to the national peace process. Indeed, both groups 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 their quarrels through agreements. According to external sources, the two parties started negotiating day before in an attempt to bring an end of several days of clashes.
  • 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.
  • Name of Locale
    Arab Saeed and Al-Roj Plain
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    35.957064, 36.551876
  • 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, In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
  • Grievance List
    The agreement addresses the local grievances that arose from the clashes between two opposition groups in Idlib governorate after a first ceasefire was broken. According to external sources, clashes led to the killing and wounding of a number of civilians, amid attempts by the "HTS" to storm the area.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

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

It is on Friday, 5 Dhu al-Aqda 1441 AH corresponding to 26/6/2020 AD

The brothers in the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and brothers from the operations room “Fa Ithboto [So Stand in English] agreed on the following, concerning the events that take place between the two parties:

1/A ceasefire in ‘Arab Saeed and Al-Roj Plain, and the removal of barriers and alerts between the two sides

2/ The brothers, the sons of Arab Saeed, to remain in the village with their personal weapons.

3/ Those who want to leave ‘Arab Saeed will get out with their personal weapons.

4/ The defendant brothers to be transferred to the al-Turkestan brothers to look into their case in the court.

5/ Close Hurras Bayet al-Din [The Guardians of Religion] headquarters in Arab Saeed and to pledge [Hurras al-Din members] not to set up checkpoints in the village.

From Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham From operations room Fa Ithboto

Abu Hafs Nibsh Abu Abdul al-Allah al-Suri

[Signature] [Signature]

5/11/1441