Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham (AAS) and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib
Date: 22 Jan 2017
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: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: 1 – Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya [Signed]
2 – Former Jund al-Aqsa [Signed]
Third parties: Page 1, The following terms:
... 6 – Jabhat al-Nusra will be the guarantors for implementing the decisions of the unison Judicial Committee in this agreement.
Description: Short ceasefire agreement between two opposition groups and guaranteed by Jabhat al-Nusra calling for a ceasefire; prisoner release; a return of captured territory; the formation of a judicial committee and a return of captured items.

Agreement document: SY_170122_Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_170122_Agreement between Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al-Aqsa, al-Fua'a, Idlib_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: No specific mention.
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: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

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: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
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: Page 1, The following terms:
... 4 – The formation of the Judicial Committee, consisting of:
- Chairman Sheikh Abu Majid 
- Member ‘Abd al-Razaq al-Mahdi 
- Member Abu Yousaf al-Hamawi Have decided to file all the past detainees and those who took them from both sides.
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: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1, The following terms:
1 – There will be an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
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: Page 1, The following terms:
... 2 – Both sides will hand over all the detainees of Jabhat al-Nusra [Al-Nusra Front] imprisoned during the last fighting and release them directly.

Page 1, The following terms:
... 4 – The formation of the Judicial Committee, consisting of:
- Chairman Sheikh Abu Majid 
- Member ‘Abd al-Razaq al-Mahdi 
- Member Abu Yousaf al-Hamawi Have decided to file all the past detainees and those who took them from both sides.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: Transitional justice→Reparations→Material reparations
Page 1, The following terms:
... 5 – Both sides will hand over to their owners all the equipment, tools, weapons and headquarters they took during the last [round of] fighting.
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: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Twitter, Shami Rebel, 2017, https://twitter.com/ShamiRebel/status/756418115991379968 [accessed 10 October 2017] Account now shut.

In the name of Allah the Merciful

But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in submission.

Sura an-Nisa 65.

On Sunday 24th of the Second Spring 1438, corresponding to 22/1/2017, it was agreed between the two specific sides:

1 – Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya [The Free Movement of Islamic Levant]

2 – Former Jund al-Aqsa [Former Garrison of al-Aqsa]

The following terms:

1 – There will be an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.

2 – Both sides will hand over all the detainees of Jabhat al-Nusra [Al-Nusra Front] imprisoned during the last fighting and release them directly.

3 – All the areas will return to whom they belonged before the last fighting.

4 – The formation of the Judicial Committee, consisting of:

- Chairman Sheikh Abu Majid

- Member ‘Abd al-Razaq al-Mahdi

- Member Abu Yousaf al-Hamawi

Have decided to file all the past detainees and those who took them from both sides.

5 – Both sides will hand over to their owners all the equipment, tools, weapons and headquarters they took during the last [round of] fighting.

6 – Jabhat al-Nusra will be the guarantors for implementing the decisions of the unison Judicial Committee in this agreement.

7 – The implementation of this agreement comes into force directly after the two sides have signed.

God is the Arbiter of Success

May Prayers and Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad

Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiya [Illegible]

Former Jund al-Aqsa [Illegible]