Babulin Checkpoint Agreement between Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) and the Ahrar al-Sham (AAS), Idlib Countryside

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Babulin Checkpoint Agreement between Hayat Tahir al-Sham (HTS) and the Ahrar al-Sham (AAS), Idlib Countryside
Date: 27 Nov 2018
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: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: Hayat Tahrir Al Sham
Represented by:
Abu Yasser Al Raubish
[Signed] Syrian Liberation Front
Represented by:
Waleed Salman
[Signed]
Third parties: Guarantor: Al Sham Legion
Represented by:
Abu Shadi Habash [Signed]
Description: Four-point Agreement seeking to solve the issue of the Babulin Checkpoint by providing for (1) affirmation of checkpoint control by Ahrar al-Sham; (2) that violations were committed by Ahrar al-Sham; (3) that the committee decided that checkpoint control by that group be removed for 60 days; (4) that no group may set up a checkpoint on the Main Haysh Fork. The agreement further confirms the members of the committee tasked with solving the problem.

Agreement document: SY_181127_Babulin Checkpoint Agreement, Idlib Countryside_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_181127_Babulin Checkpoint Agreement, Idlib Countryside_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: Power sharing→Territorial power sharing→Other
Page 1, Third: The committee has decided to remove this checkpoint in coordination with the command of the group during a period of 60 days (two months).

Page 1, Fourth: No group has the right to establish any checkpoint on the Main Haysh Fork, no matter who they are.
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: 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, First: It has been proven that the control of the checkpoint belongs to the Syrian Liberation Front (Jabhat Tahrir Suriyya).

Page 1, Second: As a result of the violations that are taking place around the checkpoint [ILLEGIBLE] that harm the security in the area, the responsibility of these violations is on the checkpoint itself because these individuals are from the same group that controls the checkpoint.

Page 1, Third: The committee has decided to remove this checkpoint in coordination with the command of the group during a period of 60 days (two months).

Page 1, Fourth: No group has the right to establish any checkpoint on the Main Haysh Fork, no matter who they are.
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, First: It has been proven that the control of the checkpoint belongs to the Syrian Liberation Front (Jabhat Tahrir Suriyya).

Page 1, Second: As a result of the violations that are taking place around the checkpoint [ILLEGIBLE] that harm the security in the area, the responsibility of these violations is on the checkpoint itself because these individuals are from the same group that controls the checkpoint.

Page 1, Third: The committee has decided to remove this checkpoint in coordination with the command of the group during a period of 60 days (two months).

Page 1, Fourth: No group has the right to establish any checkpoint on the Main Haysh Fork, no matter who they are.
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, The two sides have agreed to task a committee made up of the people of the area to listen to the testimonies of both sides and the testimonies of witnesses.

Page 1, The committee tasked with solving the problem:
Khalid Saloum [Signed]
Ahmad Ismael [Signed]
Khalil Al Abdullah [Signed]
Saleh Al Saloum [Signed]
Khalid Al Faris [Signed]
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Source: on file with Author.

Babulin Checkpoint Agreement between Hayat Tahrir Al Sham and the Ahrar al-Sham, Idlib Countryside

27 November 2018

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praises be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, and his family and companions.

Based on the meeting between the two sides, Hayat Tahrir Al Sham and the Syrian Liberation Front (Ahrar Al Sham), on 25/11/2018, a meeting was held today on Monday, 26/11/2018, to decide on the issue of the Babulin Checkpoint.

The two sides have agreed to task a committee made up of the people of the area to listen to the testimonies of both sides and the testimonies of witnesses.

The committee has decided the following:

First:

It has been proven that the control of the checkpoint belongs to the Syrian Liberation Front (Ahrar Al Sham).

Second:

As a result of the violations that are taking place around the checkpoint [ILLEGIBLE] that harm the security in the area, the responsibility of these violations is on the checkpoint itself because these individuals are from the same group that controls the checkpoint.

Third:

The committee has decided to remove this checkpoint in coordination with the command of the group during a period of 60 days (two months).

Fourth:

No group has the right to establish any checkpoint on the Main Haish Fork, no matter who they are.

This is what we have been able to reach, with the guidance of Allah.

May Allah guide us, and any mistake is only from us.

Allah knows all, and we do not, and Allah is most gracious and most merciful.

The committee tasked with solving the problem:

Khalid Saloum [Signed]

Ahmad Ismael [Signed]

Khalil Al Abdullah [Signed]

Saleh Al Saloum [Signed]

Khalid Al Faris [Signed]

Hayat Tahrir Al Sham

Represented by:

Abu Yasser Al Raubish

[Signed]

Syrian Liberation Front

Represented by:

Waleed Salman

[Signed]

Guarantor:

Al Sham Legion

Represented by:

Abu Shadi Habash [Signed]