Houran Ceasefire

  • Country/entity
    Syria
  • Region
    Middle East and North Africa
  • Agreement name
    Houran Ceasefire
  • Date
    23 Dec 2014
  • 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
    House of Justice in Houran
  • Third parties
    al-Muthanna Islamic Movement
  • Description
    Four point-agreement providing for a ceasefire between armed factions in Houran, southern Syria.

Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Isolated example
  • Rationale
    The dispute was settled by a pre-established and structured judicial body (house of justice in Houran). According to source, the dispute was mediated by an independant Islamist faction. Yet, this is an isolated example of local peace process between the two belligerents (Jabhat al Nusra and Liwa Shuhada al-Yarmouk).
  • 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. The two disputing factions are Salafist groups opposed to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and reject the national peace process that would maintain the Syrian president in power.
  • Name of Locale
    Houran
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    32.823701, 35.931560
  • Participant type
    Other
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    Mediator or similar referred to
    Mediator (references)
    Page 1, This is the best and fairest resolution) and after the conflicting parties in the Yarmouk river region approved the initiative presented by the al-Muthanna Islamic Movement
    Type of mediator/facilitator/similar
    Local armed group

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
    Page 1, In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
    Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon Messenger of God, and after:
    According to the words of the Almighty: (O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day.

    Page 1, God is the Arbiter of Success
  • Grievance List
    Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it lists four provisions to address local grievances between armed factions around Yarmouk river. It seems that the confrontation between Jabhat al-Nusra and Liwa Shuhada al-Yarmouk lies at the centre of the dispute.
  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.

House of Justice in Houran

No. 12 [stamp]

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

Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon Messenger of God, and after:

According to the words of the Almighty:

(O believers!

Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.

Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day.

This is the best and fairest resolution) and after the conflicting parties in the Yarmouk river region approved the initiative presented by the al-Muthanna Islamic Movement,

The factions operating in Houran adopt this initiative and pledge to implement it.

The House of Justice court decided the following:

First:

The conflicting factions are required to immediately cease the fire.

Second:

It requires all the conflicting factions to return to the points of guarding [defending] with the criminal regime and remove all the barriers that have occurred.

Third:

The House of Justice takes over all the checkpoints in the Yarmouk river to ensure the implementation of the House of Justice’s decision.

Fourth:

The implementation of this decision shall start from its date, and in the event that one of the parties does not abide by this decision, it will be considered an offender, and all factions are committed to oblige it to this decision.

God is the Arbiter of Success

Written in 23/12/2014

House of Justice in Houran

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