East Qalamoun Ceasefire

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: East Qalamoun Ceasefire
Date: 5 Sep 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: Factions of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by: Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya, Faylaq al-Rahman, Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo, Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya, Shuhada’ al- Qurateyn, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam;

Russian Federation.

Two illegible signatures.
Third parties: -
Description: Agreement between Russia and coalition of opposition groups calling for a ceasefire as part of a political process, that includes a separation of troops as well as the end to attacks. The Syrian opposition may continue to pursue fighters from the Islamic State. Agreement aims to improve humanitarian conditions allowing access to goods and building materials. A local council rules all civic activities. Russia guarantees the agreement and concentrates forces on the separation line.

Agreement document: SY_170905_East Qalamoun Ceasefire_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_170905_East Qalamoun Ceasefire_AR.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 (under the auspices of Russia) supported the negotiation of the agreement. Moreover, Russia – one of the signing parties – 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.
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 document refers to the Russian Federation as “one of the guarantor states of the [national] stabilisation process” in Syria. Furthermore, both parties agree to respect the “principle of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as its territorial integrity” that lies at the centre of negotiation to bring an end to the Syrian conflict. The signing parties also agree to respect “the necessity of the cease of fighting within a comprehensive solution in Syria”.
Name of Locale: East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba)
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 33.871662, 36.815218
Participant type: Central state actor
Local armed group
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: The agreement addresses grievances that arose from the clashes between opposition factions and Syrian government forces in Qalamoun and East Qalamoun.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Agreement of Ceasefire in East Qalamoun

(Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba)

Factions of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya [The Industrial Brigade] in Faylaq al-Rahman [The al-Rahman Legion], Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo [The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-‘Abdo], Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya [The Eastern Black Army], Shuhada’ al- Qurateyn [The Witnesses of the Two Villages], Ahrar al-Sham [The Free Men of the Levant] and Jaysh al-Islam [The Army of Islam] - referred to as side one in this agreement - and the Russian Federation, considered as one of the guarantor states of the stabilisation process - referred to as side two for the purpose of this agreement – agree to respect their fathers regarding the principle of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as its territorial integrity. [

They also agree to respect] the necessity of the cease of fighting within a comprehensive solution in Syria, based on the international resolutions, especially the Declaration of Geneva and the Security Council’s Resolution number 2118 and Resolution number 2254 and the Ankara Agreement for Ceasefire dated 29-12- 2016 and the Agreement of Areas of Reduction of Escalation.

They agree on the shared will of the faction of the opposition in Syrian Qalamoun in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al- Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba), represented by Liwa’ al-Sanadiyya in Faylaq al- Rahman, Quwat al-Shaheed Ahmad al-‘Abdo and Jaysh Aswad al-Sharqiyya, Shuhada’ al-Qurateyn, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Islam and the Russian Federation to reach an agreement, stating the following:

1-The preamble to this agreement is recognised as a part that cannot be divided from this agreement.

2-The two sides commit to a ceasefire and to join the state of ending violent operations and they welcome an area of ceasefire in in East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba).

A committee will be formed of the two sides to determine the geographical coordinates that reflect civilian rights on the map.

3-Both sides pledge to stop all hostilities against the other front from the date that the mentioned committee determined in principle number two.

Both sides will also instantly stop using all types of weapons, including air, rocket and artillery attacks and mortar shells as well as light weapons.

4-When the ceasefire enters into force, separation lines will be drawn between the two contending fronts on a map, reflecting the reality and the land rights of the two contending fronts at the time of the signature of the agreement.

5-Side two commits to facilitate side one’s pursuit in their fight against the organisation Da’esh [ISIS].

6-The two sides commit to the full application of the agreement and the full cease of all military operations in the area of the ceasefire and [the area] that includes East Qalamoun (Dhameer, Raheeba, al-Mansoora, al-Nasriyya, Jibal al-Bitra, Jibal al-‘Afr in Raheeba).

That includes all air, rocket and artillery attacks.

All violations of the decisions in this agreement are punishable according to the ceasefire agreed on in Ankara on 29-12-2016.

7-The two sides urgently take all necessary measures to improve the humanitarian situation in the area of the ceasefire.

To achieve this goal, both sides facilitate the urgent entry of food and medicine relief as well as other humanitarian needs through the four crossing points side one controls by the entrances of Dhameer, Raheeba, Jeerood and Nasriyya.

The same applies to the evacuation of injured people to Syrian or Russian hospitals, according to their will.

The signing of this agreement also allows the entry of all necessary materials for the reconstruction process and that are determined upon the request of part one.

Representatives of the Russian Federation will undertake the inspection of the convoys.

8-Side two commits to facilitate all civil, economic and commercial transactions and activities as well as to allow the entry of a sufficient number of goods to the area of the ceasefire, determined by side one, without any additional taxes or fees to the prices.

For the purpose of this agreement, goods refer to food, medicines, medical equipment, fuel, raw materials, building materials, all electrical and mechanical devices and equipment, in addition to everything regarded as necessary to improve the city.

9-The area of the ceasefire is managed through the current local council that runs all civil activities.

This committee peacefully establishes a justice committee with the mission of reforms (according to the common customs) between the inhabitants of the area.

10-It is allowed, with the permission of the two sides, and when there is a need, to add any items, records, attachments, separate materials or protocols to enforce the realisation of the decisions in this agreement and to clarify it.

11-Side one recognises the acceptance of the Russian Federation as the guarantor for the implementation of this agreement.

They also accept that this side establishes control forces for the cease of acts of aggression.

These forces concentrate on the length of the front line between the two contending fronts according to the map drawn after the meeting of the mentioned committee in principle two of this agreement.

12-When this ceasefire comes into force, a committee representing the two sides will be formed, in addition to the Russian Federation as guarantor, in order to facilitate the individual release of all detainees, abductees and forcefully absent people from both fronts for a period of one month.

13-This agreement is regarded as an introduction to creating a sound environment for implementing the comprehensive political solution according to the mentioned international resolutions in the preamble above.

It is not considered as a substitute for them in any occasion.

14-The implementation of this agreement starts from the date of the signing of the two sides.

Signed on 5-9-2017 in two copies in the Arabic and Russian language.

Both copies enjoy the same legal force in the Arabic and Russian language.

[Illegible]