Ceasefire in Towns of Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula in Homs Countryside between Syrian Government and Free Syrian Army (FSA)

Export agreement:

Export agreement coding (PDF)

Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Ceasefire in Towns of Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula in Homs Countryside between Syrian Government and Free Syrian Army (FSA)
Date: 31 Jul 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: Government
Peace process: Intra-Syrian Process (state/non-state)
Parties: ‘Moderate Syrian armed opposition’
Syrian Regime
Third parties: Syrian Tomorrow Movement [Suria al-Ghad]
Russian Ministry of Defence
Egyptian Government
Description: 10-point ceasefire agreement agreeing to the unity of the Syrian state, a cessation of hostilities, guarantees of non-infringement of respective areas, to talk of establishing committees to investigate the conditions of detainees, the deployment of 'Chechyan' Russian forces, the free movement of goods, a prohibition of support for al-Qaeda factions, that the governance of the city will be civic, and permission to import building materials to begin reconstruction.

Agreement document: SY_170731_Ceasefire of the Countryside of Homs including Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula_EN.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: Page 1, 1. Guarantee of the unity of the territory of Syria and the parties will not try to divide them.
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: Page 1, 9. City administration will be undertaken by civil offices and local councils.
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: Page 1, 7. Food, fuel, goods and spare parts are permitted to enter and leave the Northern countryside of Homs, without quantity restrictions.

Page 1, 10. Permit the import of building materials to begin the reconstruction process after the submission of the quantity [needed] the study of which is undertaken by a competent committee.
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: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistance
Page 1, 7. Food, fuel, goods and spare parts are permitted to enter and leave the Northern countryside of Homs, without quantity restrictions.
Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Infrastructure and reconstruction
Page 1, 10. Permit the import of building materials to begin the reconstruction process after the submission of the quantity [needed] the study of which is undertaken by a competent committee.
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, 2. Ensure a ceasefire of all types of weapons.

Page 1, 3. No infringement [by any party] on areas controlled by [any] party.

Page 1, 5. Declaration of Russia as the guarantor.
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, 8. Factions supporting the al-Qaeda ideology will not be supported.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: Page 1, 8. Factions supporting the al-Qaeda ideology will not be supported.

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, 4. Work to establish a committee to investigate the conditions of the detainees and work on the release [of detainees] by all parties.
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: Russian Ministry of Defence
Egyptian Government
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1, 5. Declaration of Russia as the guarantor.

Page 1, 6. Upon agreement, ‘Chechnyan’ forces will begin to be deployed.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Youm Sebaa. Syria Tomorrow Movement reveals items of agreement in the Homs Countryside guaranteed by President al-Sisi, 3 August 2017, https://bit.ly/2H1UUl7 [accessed 21 December 2017]

Ceasefire of the Northern Countryside of Homs including the towns of Talbisa, Rastan and al-Hula

31 July 20171

1. Guarantee of the unity of the territory of Syria and the parties will not try to divide them.

2. Ensure a ceasefire of all types of weapons.

3. No infringement [by any party] on areas controlled by [any] party.

4. Work to establish a committee to investigate the conditions of the detainees and work on the release [of detainees] by all parties.

5. Declaration of Russia as the guarantor.

6. Upon agreement, ‘Chechnyan’ forces will begin to be deployed.

7. Food, fuel, goods and spare parts are permitted to enter and leave the Northern countryside of Homs, without quantity restrictions.

8. Factions supporting the al-Qaeda ideology will not be supported.

9. City administration will be undertaken by civil offices and local councils.

10. Permit the import of building materials to begin the reconstruction process after the submission of the quantity [needed] the study of which is undertaken by a competent committee.

Parties [Agreement status unknown]:

‘Moderate Syrian armed opposition’

Syrian Regime

Third parties:

Syrian Tomorrow Movement [Suria al-Ghad]

Russian Ministry of Defence

Egyptian Government