Qamishlo Agreement

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Qamishlo Agreement
Date: 22 Apr 2016
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: Rojava administration, Cizîr Canton Internal Affairs Council Co-President;
The Ba’athist regime, Kenan Berekat;
Third parties: Elders of the area;
Sheikhs of the clans
Description: Short ceasefire agreement between the Rojava Administration and the Syrian regime, providing for the dismantlement of the NDF paramilitary; an end to threats by the regime; release of prisoners; reparation for civilians; an end to interference by the regime in the town's affairs; an end to martial law; both sides keep the territory they currently own; the Rojava youth will not be forcibly drafted. Agreement does not contain an explicit cessation of hostilities clause, but this is implicated from the other areas of agreement.

Agreement document: SY_160424_Qamsihlo Agreement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Isolated example
Rationale: -> Local issues only; no external support mechanism; no culture of signing It seems that no formally established mechanism supported the negotiation. The agreement is circumscribed to a specific event, which is the three-day urban battle between the paramilitary police of the Asayish and the pro-government National Defence Forces in Qashmili. This is the first agreement of its kind signed between the two parties; the Kurdish leadership has always been very reluctant to make peace with the government forces before. There is thus no culture of peace agreement in this instance.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: It seems complicated to link this agreement with the national peace process, although it involves the Syrian government. During a peace conference that announced the agreement, Berekat, the representative of the Kurdish Democratic Self-Administration emphasised that the Kurdish administration would not accept any system in Rojava other than Democratic Autonomy.
Name of Locale: Qamsihlo [Qamishli]
Nature of Locale: City
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 37.051975, 41.230019
Participant type: Central state actor
Local state actor
Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder
Mediator, facilitator or similar: Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references): A follow-up statement released by one of the parties mentions that the ceasefire was reached "after the involvement of elders of the area and the sheikhs of the clans".
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar: Domestic religious organisation/leader or other elder

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): No specific mention.
Grievance List: Although the agreement does not refer to specific causes of the conflict, it lists nine provisions to address local grievances.

Page 1,
1. Both sides will abide to the ceasefire
2. The paramilitary NDF affiliated with the regime will be reviewed and later dismantled
3. The regime will not force public officials to take up arms and will not threaten them with
dismissal or pay cuts
4. Both sides to release those taken captive
5. Material help to civilians who were affected by the attacks on the neighborhoods, in
addition to compensation to families of killed civilians.
6. Regime forces will not interfere with people’s internal affairs
7. End to martial law in town
8. All forces keep the areas they now have
9. Youth from Rojava is not to be forced into military service in SAA.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Qamsihlo Agreement

Clauses of the agreement reached by the Rojava administration and the Ba’athist regime:

Both sides will abide to the ceasefire

The paramilitary NDF affiliated with the regime will be reviewed and later dismantled

The regime will not force public officials to take up arms and will not threaten them with dismissal or pay cuts

Both sides to release those taken captive

Material help to civilians who were affected by the attacks on the neighborhoods, in addition to compensation to families of killed civilians.

Regime forces will not interfere with people’s internal affairs

End to martial law in town

All forces keep the areas they now have

Youth from Rojava is not to be forced into military service in SAA.

Cizîr Canton Internal Affairs Council Co-President

Kenan Berekat Syrian Government