Field Agreement between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and People’s Defence Units (YPG) in the city of Ras al-Ain (Serê Kaniyê)

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Field Agreement between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and People’s Defence Units (YPG) in the city of Ras al-Ain (Serê Kaniyê)
Date: 18 Feb 2013
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.
Stage: Framework/substantive - comprehensive
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: The Free Syrian Army (FSA);
People's Defence Units (YPG)
Third parties: -
Description: Coordination agreement between the Free Syrian Army and the People's Defence Units in Ras al-Ain. Agreement provides for a military withdrawal, the non-interference in the city council by armed units, joint-checkpoints between FSA/YPG forces until the city can take over, to secure access and mobility in the city, further cooperation between the YPG and FSA to liberate regime-held cities, end hostile media between the two groups.

Agreement document: SY_130200_Field Agreement between YPG and FSA.PDF (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_130200_Field Agreement between YPG and FSA_AR.PDF (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: Groups→Religious groups→Rhetorical
Page 1, untitled preamble, Based on our belief in the unity of a free Syrian land and people, and motivated by the commitment to the principles of peaceful coexistence between all components of the Syrian people and rejection of all sectarian, ethnic, chauvinistic and exclusionary approaches. And in order to unite all people in the battle of dignity against the bloody authoritarian regime in order to build a free Syria where all components enjoy their legitimate rights under the banner of ‘Syria for All Syrians’ to be a country that can genuinely express the authenticity and the civilization of the coexistence.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: Power sharing→Political power sharing→General
Sub-state level
Page 1, 3. To establish by consensus a local civil council that represents the social components to manage all the civic affairs of the town.

Page 1, 5. Local council represents the sovereign entity in the city, The intervention of military forces in the affairs of the local council is completely prohibited.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: Power sharing→Military power sharing→Proportionality
Page 1, 6. To establish common checkpoints between the YPG and the Free Syrian Army at the entrances to the city of Ras al-Ain, until the City Council takes over when it is able to.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Media roles
Page 1, 10. To end hostile media campaigns between the two parties.
Mobility/access: Page 1, 7. To facilitate and secure the passage of people, goods and forces of each party across the checkpoints of the other party.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, 1. Redeployment of military forces and the complete removal of armed manifestations from the town.

Page 1, 4. The border checkpoint to be managed by the city council.

Page 1, 5. Local council represents the sovereign entity in the city, The intervention of military forces in the affairs of the local council is completely prohibited.

Page 1, 6. To establish common checkpoints between the YPG and the Free Syrian Army at the entrances to the city of Ras al-Ain, until the City Council takes over when it is able to.

Page 1, 7. To facilitate and secure the passage of people, goods and forces of each party across the checkpoints of the other party.

Page 1, 9. Cities and towns where there is no existence of the regime: Derbassiyeh, Amouda, Tel Tamer, Maabada and Al-Malikihha are considered liberated cities and a should be declared so in a joint statement.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, 1. Redeployment of military forces and the complete removal of armed manifestations from the town.

Page 1, 2. To establish a temporary monitoring and follow-up committee agreed upon by both parties, in order to follow up and monitor the implementation of the terms of the agreement.

Page 1, 5. Local council represents the sovereign entity in the city, The intervention of military forces in the affairs of the local council is completely prohibited.

Page 1, 6. To establish common checkpoints between the YPG and the Free Syrian Army at the entrances to the city of Ras al-Ain, until the City Council takes over when it is able to.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 1, 2. To establish a temporary monitoring and follow-up committee agreed upon by both parties, in order to follow up and monitor the implementation of the terms of the agreement.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Rim Turkmani, Mary Kaldor et. al., 'Hungry for Peace', LSE/Madani Report, October 2014, p. 33

Arabic version: Available on wayback machine from https://web.archive.org/web/20130325151326/http://ar.firatnews.com/news/akhr-l-khbr/mrsm-twqy-tfq-mydny-fy-sryh-knyh-byn-ypg-wljysh-lhr.htm

Field agreement between the Free Syrian Army and People’s Defence Units (YPG) in the city of Ras Al‐Ain

Based on our belief in the unity of a free Syrian land and people, and motivated by the commitment to the principles of peaceful coexistence between all components of the Syrian people and rejection of all sectarian, ethnic, chauvinistic and exclusionary approaches.

And in order to unite all people in the battle of dignity against the bloody authoritarian regime in order to build a free Syria where all components enjoy their legitimate rights under the banner of ‘Syria for All Syrians’ to be a country that can genuinely express the authenticity and the civilization of the coexistence.

For all of this, the parties meeting in Ras Al Ain agreed to resolve all the arising conflicts and disagreements according to the following principles:

1‐ Redeployment of military forces and the complete removal of armed manifestations from the town.

2‐ To establish a temporary monitoring and follow‐up committee agreed upon by both parties, in order to follow up and monitor the implementation of the terms of the agreement.

3‐ To establish by consensus a local civil council that represents the social components to manage all the civic affairs of the town.

4‐ The border checkpoint to be managed by the city council.

5‐ Local council represents the sovereign entity in the city, The intervention of military forces in the affairs of the local council is completely prohibited.

6‐ To establish common checkpoints between the YPG and the Free Syrian Army at the entrances to the city of Ras al‐Ain, until the City Council takes over when it is able to.

7‐ To facilitate and secure the passage of people, goods and forces of each party across the checkpoints of the other party.

8‐ Cooperation and coordination between the Free Syrian Army and YPG to liberate cities that are still under the regime control.

9‐ Cities and towns where there is no existence of the regime:

Derbassiyeh, Amouda, Tel Tamer, Maabada and Al‐Malikihha are considered liberated cities and a should be declared so in a joint statement.

10‐ To end hostile media campaigns between the two parties.

11‐ The introduction part of this agreement is considered an essential term of the agreement.

Signatories

Free Syrian Army

People’s Defence Units (YPG)