Instrument of Agreement (between Jaysh al-Thawra and the Marea Operations Room, Aleppo)

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Instrument of Agreement (between Jaysh al-Thawra and the Marea Operations Room, Aleppo)
Date: 18 Dec 2015
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: Jaysh al-Thawra [illegible]
Command of Marea [Operations] Room [illegible]
Third parties: -
Description: Agreement is a response to local initiative; Initiative of the Shura and Reconciliation Council in Aleppo. 5-point agreement provides for (1) the entrance of Jaysh al-Thawra into Marea Operations room; (2) Jaysh al-Thawra's approval of Marea's command; (3) that Jaysh al-Thawra will remain at their current location until it is secure from the Syrian regime or ISIS; (4) de-militarisation of specified areas apart from a police force; (5) release of detainees by all parties. Although it has no explicit ceasefire clause, the agreement aimed to end fighting between Jaysh al-Thawra (under the Syrian Democratic Forces) and Marea Operations Room. The agreement was broken in Janaury 2016 when SDF took Malkiyya Village on the Aleppo-Azaz road.

Agreement document: SY_151218_Ceasefire between FSA Marea and Jaysh al-Thawrah_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_151218_Ceasefire between FSA Marea and Jaysh al-Thawrah_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Informal but persistent process
Rationale: -> Link to national level; no external support mechanism; culture of signing There is no formally established mechanism to support the negotiation between Salafi armed groups. Moreover, this agreement cannot be linked to the national peace process. Indeed, both groups oppose the rule of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and reject the idea of a national negotiation to solve the conflict. Yet, it seems that both signing parties choose to solve the conflicts related to their armed struggle through agreements (see references). Although one cannot speak of a “culture” of singing peace agreements, the parties are involved (in a non-proactive and non-conscious way) in a persistent practice of signing local agreements.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: No link to the national peace process in Syria is mentioned in the agreement, neither it can be inferred from further research. First, the agreement does not involve local governance actors; and the signing parties themselves are not official state representative. Second, all parties to the agreement reject the national peace process, as it would maintain Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian government in power. The agreement is a "In response to the initiative of the Shura and Reconciliation Council in Aleppo [made] by the two sides."
Name of Locale: Aleppo (province)
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 36.510338, 36.870017
Participant type: Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): Page 1, God bless
Grievance List: Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it lists five provisions to address local grievances.

Page 1,
1. Jaysh al-Thawar will enter into the machinery of the Marea Operations Room which will determine the timeframe, location, gear and number according to requirements at that stage.
2. Jaysh al-Thawar approves the leadership of the [Marea Operations] Room with supervision and follow-up, and accountability.
3. Members of Jaysh al-Thawar will remain in their headquarters until its premises and fronts are secured from [Syrian] regime and daesh [the Islamic State] with support from the [Operations] Room.
4. The following areas (Anab, Maryamayn, Shuwarigha al-Juzan) will be free of any armed presence except for a police station run by a free police [force].
5. Both parties will release all detainees.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Instrument of Agreement (between The Revolutionary Army and the Marea Operations Room, Aleppo)

In response to the initiative of the Shura and Reconciliation Council in Aleppo [made] by the two sides, the following points were agreed:

1. Jaysh al-Thawar will enter into the machinery of the Marea Operations Room which will determine the timeframe, location, gear and number according to requirements at that stage.

2. Jaysh al-Thawar approves the leadership of the [Marea Operations] Room with supervision and follow-up, and accountability.

3. Members of Jaysh al-Thawar will remain in their headquarters until its premises and fronts are secured from [Syrian] regime and daesh [the Islamic State] with support from the [Operations] Room.

4. The following areas (Anab, Maryamayn, Shuwarigha al-Juzan) will be free of any armed presence except for a police station run by a free police [force].

5. Both parties will release all detainees.

God bless

Jaysh al-Thawra [illegible]

Command of Marea [Operations] Room [illegible]