Follow up on the implementation of the Previous Agreement in al-Waer, Homs

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Follow up on the implementation of the Previous Agreement in al-Waer, Homs
Date: 31 Aug 2016
Agreement status: Unilateral document
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: Syrian government
Third parties: -
Description: Ceasefire agreement in return for the withdrawal of opposition fighters from al-Waer, Damascus. Agreement calls for goods to enter into the neighbourhood; prisoner release; the entrance of police and Syrian regime security into the neighbourhood to re-open the office of population record and environment; allow civilians to return home; and the withdrawal of opposition fighters with their families and light weapons in four rounds.

Agreement document: SY_160831_Follow up on the implementation of the Previous Agr. in al-Waer_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_160831_Follow up on the implementation of the Previous Agr. in al-Waer_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Informal but persistent process
Rationale: -> Local issues only; no external support mechanism; culture of signing There is no formally established mechanism to support the negotiation between rebel armed groups and the Syrian government. Yet, the struggle between those two parties lies at the centre of the Syrian conflict and has been a recurring point of contention ever since 2011. Moreover, it seems that the Syrian government agreed to manage its conflict with opposition groups through peace agreements, especially in main cities such as Homs. This is mainly the result of local and international pressure to limit the use of violent mean and protect civilians. Hence, one could argue that this agreement has been signed in the framework of a repeated process - although one cannot speak of a 'culture" of signing peace agreements.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: Yes
Link to national process: articulated rationale: No link to the national peace process in Syria is mentioned in the agreement, but it can be inferred from further research. The agreement is an unilateral declaration made by representatives of the Syrian government to regain control over al-Waer neighbourhood.
Name of Locale: al-Waer neighbourhood
Nature of Locale: Smaller
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 34.743349, 36.674552
Participant type: Central state actor
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

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 seems that it addresses the grievances that arose from clashes in the neighbourhood of al-Waer, which resulted in a number of detainees and disappeared, interrupted supplies and militarisation.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Follow up on the implementation of the Previous Agreement on the Neighbourhood of al-Waer

The final response to the proposal must be provided by both sides in the 24 hours up to 3pm on Wednesday on the date corresponding to 21/8/2016 to a complete ceasefire with continuation should the proposal is approved.

The proposal:

1-The road will be allowed to open in order for the materials (vegetables, fruit, water, electricity, bread) to enter through the Technical Department (Shu’un al-Faniyya) Checkpoint.

The entrance point to the al-Wa’er neighbourhood from the Muhadiseen Roundabout will be opened.

According to the previous agreement those who desire, will be granted amnesty.

2-The first group of fighters with at least 300 fighters who do not want amnesty and who do not want to stay will leave from the neighbourhood of al-Wa’er with their light weaponry and families.

3-The 140-200 detainees of the General Security Directorate will be released.

This was agreed upon previously.

4-The second group of at least 500 fighters who do not want to stay will be released with their light weaponry and families.

5-The status of half the detainees and missing persons will be clarified according to the previous agreement.

6-The third group at least 300 fighters who do not want to stay will be released with their light weaponry and families.

7-The of detainees mentioned in Point 5 will be released after meeting with the Director of the General Intelligence Department.

8-The fighters will withdraw from the seventh Jazeera and eighth Jazeera, and representatives from State Security and the police will enter in order to receive the two neighbourhoods in order to oversee the restoration of operations at the Justice Palace.

Later, they will restore operations to the offices of population records and the environment, located near the palace.

Civilians may return to their homes after all fighters have left.

9-The last group of fighters who do not want to stay will leave with their light weaponry and families.