Agreement between Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) and the Islamic State (IS)

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Agreement between Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) and the Islamic State (IS)
Date: 27 Nov 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: Islamic State (IS, ISIS);
Syrian Defence Forces (SDF)
Third parties: -
Description: Three part agreement with sections providing for military, political and economic issues.

Agreement document: SY_171127_ISIS Ceasefire_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_171127_ISIS Ceasefire_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: Power sharing→Military power sharing→Joint command structures
Page 1, A. Military:
8. Both parties will establish a military coordination room and install a hotline between them.

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 logistics
Page 1, A. Military:
8. Both parties will establish a military coordination room and install a hotline between them.

Page 1, A. Military:
9. Establishing communications will solve accidental or erroneous firing and the responsible party will provide a reason as well as immediately resolve the matter.
Mobility/access: Page 2, C. Economic:
1. Trade crossings to the Islamic State magistrate will open and neither side will block movement of
goods.

Page 2, C. Economic:
3. Syrian Defence Forces will provide safety to Islamic State fighters leaving their territories for the
purpose of medical treatment
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: Page 2, C. Economic:
2. Remaining oil wells under the authority of the Islamic State will remain under their authority.
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, A. Military:
4. The soldiers of the Islamic state [must not] be subjected to attack whilst carrying out military
actions against parties outside of this agreement.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1, A. Military:
1. An immediate cessation of all fighting between the two parties until the end date of negotiations.

Page 1, A. Military:
2. The duration of the truce is a month with possibility for extension, beginning on 20/11/2017 and ending 28/12/2017.

Page 1, A. Military:
3. The two parties will determine safe geographical boundaries [a demarcation line].
Page 1, A. Military:
3. The two parties will determine safe geographical boundaries [a demarcation line].

Page 1, A. Military:
5. All military actions against the Islamic State [by the Syrian Defence Force] will cease including airstrikes and artillery.

Page 1, A. Military:
6. The Islamic State is committed to ending military action against the other party in the agreement.

Page 1, A. Military:
7. The Islamic State is committed to ending security actions [...]1 during the agreement [period] in the direct conflict area in Barka province [Hassakeh].

Page 1, A. Military:
10. Military coordinators from both sides will report any movement on the front lines and their destination, as well as their purpose and proximity to either party, to ensure stability.

Page 2, The truce will end on the agreed date or when a party annuls the terms of the truce. The Islamic State does not breach covenants and works to fulfil the obligations and is not responsible for any individual behaviour of its members or loyalists other than its soldiers.
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, A. Military:
4. The soldiers of the Islamic state [must not] be subjected to attack whilst carrying out military
actions against parties outside of this agreement.

Page 1, B. Political:
4. Non-exposure of the arrivals to the territory of the Islamic state from Jaysh al-Muhajirin wal-
Ansar.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: [Summary] Islamic State is party to the agreement.

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, B. Political:
1. Islamic State soldiers captured before this agreement by the Syrian Defence Force will not be handed over to any party beyond this agreement and negotiations will remain between agreement parties.

Page 1, Political:
2. Working on the issue of prisoners with the competent authorities of both 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: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 1, B. Political:
5. Any breach [of the agreement] by any party will be registered and referred to the competent
authority.

Page 1, B. Political:
6. Existing problems will be solved directly between the parties.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Terror Events, Twitter Account, 27 November 2017, https://twitter.com/TerrorEvents/status/935276430837080066

In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

A. Military:

1. An immediate cessation of all fighting between the two parties until the end date of negotiations.

2. The duration of the truce is a month with possibility for extension, beginning on 20/11/2017 and ending 28/12/2017.

3. The two parties will determine safe geographical boundaries [a demarcation line].

4. The soldiers of the Islamic state [must not] be subjected to attack whilst carrying out military actions against parties outside of this agreement.

5. All military actions against the Islamic State [by the Syrian Defence Force] will cease including airstrikes and artillery.

6. The Islamic State is committed to ending military action against the other party in the agreement.

7. The Islamic State is committed to ending security actions [...]1 during the agreement [period] in the direct conflict area in Barka province [Hassakeh].

8. Both parties will establish a military coordination room and install a hotline between them.

9. Establishing communications will solve accidental or erroneous firing and the responsible party will provide a reason as well as immediately resolve the matter.

10. Military coordinators from both sides will report any movement on the front lines and their destination, as well as their purpose and proximity to either party, to ensure stability.

B. Political:

1. Islamic State soldiers captured before this agreement by the Syrian Defence Force will not be handed over to any party beyond this agreement and negotiations will remain between agreement parties.

2. Working on the issue of prisoners with the competent authorities of both parties.

3. Define the regions and parties involved in the agreement.

4. Non-exposure of the arrivals to the territory of the Islamic state from Jaysh al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar.

5. Any breach [of the agreement] by any party will be registered and referred to the competent

6. Existing problems will be solved directly between the parties.

D. Economic:

1. Trade crossings to the Islamic State magistrate will open and neither side will block movement of goods.

2. Remaining oil wells under the authority of the Islamic State will remain under their authority.

3. Syrian Defence Forces will provide safety to Islamic State fighters leaving their territories for the purpose of medical treatment.

The truce will end on the agreed date or when a party annuls the terms of the truce.

The Islamic State does not breach covenants and works to fulfil the obligations and is not responsible for any individual behaviour of its members or loyalists other than its soldiers.

Only Allah leads to prosperity and guides to the straight path.