Agreement between the People’s Protection Units and Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhtahu’ regarding Sheikh Maqsud, Aleppo

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Country/entity: Syria
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Agreement between the People’s Protection Units and Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhtahu’ regarding Sheikh Maqsud, Aleppo
Date: 28 May 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: Renewal
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Syrian Local Agreements
Parties: People's Protection Units (YPG);
Operations Rooms 'Libtik Ya Ukhtahu' (consisting of Northern Front, Kurdish Front, Ahrar al-Sham, Abu Amara Brigades, 16th Legion, Descendants of the Sultans, Faylaq al-Sham, First Battalion, Jaysh al-Islam, Safwa Brigades, Nur al-Din al-Zanki Brigades)
Third parties: The Fastaqim Union
Farqa 16
Description: A re-negotiation agreement of the previous agreement on May 4, 2015. TPG agrees to withdraw its units mediated by third parties of Fastaqim Union and Farqa 16.

Agreement document: SY_150528_Agreement between YPG and Libtik ya Ukhtah_EN.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): SY_150528_Agreement between YPG and Libtik ya Ukhtah_AR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Formal structured process
Rationale: -> Local issues only; external support mechanism; culture of signing A formally-established mechanism apparently supported the negotiation between the signing groups, as the negotiation was mediated by two third parties. 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. This is the second agreement signed on this local matter.
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.
Name of Locale: Sheikh Maqsud
Nature of Locale: Smaller
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 36.237554, 37.153702
Participant type: Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references): The Fastaqim Union and Farqa 16
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar: Local armed group

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 grievances that arose from the non-respect of a previous agreement negotiated between the People’s Protection Units and Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhtahu’ on the question of a specific checkpoint.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Agreement between the People’s Protection Units and Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhtahu’ regarding Sheikh Maqsud, Aleppo

After [exercises] by the Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhtahu’ and the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

It has been pledged by the YPG to fully implement the conditions were previously agreed upon with the guarantee of brothers in the Fastaqim Union and Farqa 16.

Its forces will be withdrawn from both sides, with the active representation of intermediates represented by the brothers in the Fastaqim Union and Farqa 16.

This Agreement shall be in effect from the date expected at the time and date set forth below and for a period of ten days:

Time:

8:00 PM

Date:

Thursday:

28/05/2015

[Four signatories]

Operation Room ‘Libtik Ya Ukhta’

People’s Protection Units (YPG)

The Fastaqim Union

Farqa 16