Ceasefire in Towns of Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula in Homs Countryside between Syrian Government and Free Syrian Army (FSA)

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Ceasefire in Towns of Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula in Homs Countryside between Syrian Government and Free Syrian Army (FSA)
Date: 31 Jul 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: Government
Peace process: Intra-Syrian Process (state/non-state)
Parties: ‘Moderate Syrian armed opposition’
Syrian Regime
Third parties: Syrian Tomorrow Movement [Suria al-Ghad]
Russian Ministry of Defence
Egyptian Government
Description: 10-point ceasefire agreement agreeing to the unity of the Syrian state, a cessation of hostilities, guarantees of non-infringement of respective areas, to talk of establishing committees to investigate the conditions of detainees, the deployment of 'Chechyan' Russian forces, the free movement of goods, a prohibition of support for al-Qaeda factions, that the governance of the city will be civic, and permission to import building materials to begin reconstruction.

Agreement document: SY_170731_Ceasefire of the Countryside of Homs including Talbisa, Rastan and Al-Hula_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Formal structured process
Rationale: -> Link to national level; external support mechanism; culture of signing A regional mechanism supported the negotiation of the agreement that came as the result of negotiation held in Cairo and monitored by representatives of the Russian and Egyptian governments. Russia – officially nominated as a “guarantor” of the agreement – has quickly assumed a central role in the negotiations between Bashar al-Assad government and the opposition factions, aiming at bringing a definitive end to the Syrian conflict through the persistent practice of signing local agreements.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: Yes
Link to national process: articulated rationale: It seems that the agreement is directly linked to the national peace process. The Syrian government is one of the signing parties. Moreover, the agreement refers to the “guarantee of the unity of the territory of Syria”.
Name of Locale: Northern Countryside of Homs
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 34.878199, 36.729795
Participant type: Central state actor
Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references): Syrian Tomorrow Movement, Russian Ministry of Defence, Egyptian government
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar: Central state actor Unclear/Other

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 ten provisions to address local grievances.

Page 1,
1. Guarantee of the unity of the territory of Syria and the parties will not try to divide them.
2. Ensure a ceasefire of all types of weapons.
3. No infringement [by any party] on areas controlled by [any] party.
4. Work to establish a committee to investigate the conditions of the detainees and work on the release [of detainees] by all parties.
5. Declaration of Russia as the guarantor.
6. Upon agreement, ‘Chechnyan’ forces will begin to be deployed.
7. Food, fuel, goods and spare parts are permitted to enter and leave the Northern countryside of Homs, without quantity restrictions.
8. Factions supporting the al-Qaeda ideology will not be supported.
9. City administration will be undertaken by civil offices and local councils.
10. Permit the import of building materials to begin the reconstruction process after the submission of the quantity [needed] the study of which is undertaken by a competent committee.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Ceasefire of the Northern Countryside of Homs including the towns of Talbisa, Rastan and al-Hula

31 July 20171

1. Guarantee of the unity of the territory of Syria and the parties will not try to divide them.

2. Ensure a ceasefire of all types of weapons.

3. No infringement [by any party] on areas controlled by [any] party.

4. Work to establish a committee to investigate the conditions of the detainees and work on the release [of detainees] by all parties.

5. Declaration of Russia as the guarantor.

6. Upon agreement, ‘Chechnyan’ forces will begin to be deployed.

7. Food, fuel, goods and spare parts are permitted to enter and leave the Northern countryside of Homs, without quantity restrictions.

8. Factions supporting the al-Qaeda ideology will not be supported.

9. City administration will be undertaken by civil offices and local councils.

10. Permit the import of building materials to begin the reconstruction process after the submission of the quantity [needed] the study of which is undertaken by a competent committee.

Parties [Agreement status unknown]:

‘Moderate Syrian armed opposition’

Syrian Regime

Third parties:

Syrian Tomorrow Movement [Suria al-Ghad]

Russian Ministry of Defence

Egyptian Government