Syria’s Rebel Leader Vows to Disband Armed Factions
The leader of the rebel coalition that swept to power last week said that fighters would be brought under the defense ministry’s authority. It was not immediately clear how that would be achieved.
The leader of the rebel coalition that swept to power in Syria over a week ago said that all armed groups in the country would be dissolved, Syrian state news media reported Tuesday, as the new government tries to rebuild a functioning state.
Just over a week after President Bashar al-Assad’s fall, the new authorities in the Syrian capital, Damascus, have sought to project stability after almost 14 years of civil war. Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition, said on Monday that all rebel groups in the country would be disbanded and their fighters brought under the authority of the defense ministry, according to a statement posted by SANA, Syria’s state news agency.
“Everyone will be subject to the law,” he said.
It was not clear from Mr. al-Shara’s comments how or when this would be achieved, or whether the competing armed factions in the country would agree.
The United States and several other countries still consider Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group led by Mr. al-Shara, to be a terrorist organization, a label that severely limits the aid that countries and organizations can provide to the new government. But Syria’s new leaders have been meeting with Western diplomats in a bid for international recognition of the government’s legitimacy.
The push to maintain law and order comes as Syria’s new government tries to get public institutions back up and running. Preparations are underway to reopen international airports, and Syria’s state news agency has been broadcasting administrative bulletins about central bank exchange rates and recruitment calls for the police.
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