Surrender deals in south a huge gamble
GROUPS DEFEND THEIR DECISION AS A WAY TO SPARE CIVILIAN LIVES
Al Odeh was accused of treason but he believes that he minimised human and financial losses for the people of Dara’a. He is convinced that the Russians are coming, just like what happened in East Ghouta ...”
Ebrahim Hamidi | Senior diplomatic editor at Al Sharq Al Awsat
Divisions are high among rebels in Dara’a over a reconciliation agreement reached earlier this week between Russia and “Shabab Al Sunna,” a powerful group based in the nearby town of Busra.
At least two powerful figures have walked out on the talks, claiming that the reconciliation process is “treason,” being Adnan Al Masalmeh of the “Crisis Committee” and Bashar Al Zoubi, a defected army general from the Free Syrian Army who commands the Yarmouk Brigade.
Both have unleashed their anger on Ahmad Al Odeh, the commander of Shabab Al Sunna, who reached a deal with the Russians that is strikingly different from similar deals hammered out recently in East Ghouta.
The agreement is “very important” said Ebrahim Hamidi, senior diplomatic editor at the London-based Al Sharq Al Awsat told Gulf News.
“Russia has succeeded in dividing the armed groups. Al Odeh believes that he minimised human and financial losses for the people of Dara’a by surrendering. He is convinced that the Russians are coming, just like what happened in East Ghouta.”
The original Russian offer was for the armed opposition groups to surrender their weapons in full and be shipped out of Dara’a to the Syrian north like what happened in Ghouta and other rebel-held areas.
Al Odeh refused and put forth a counterproposal, which allowed Dara’a citizens to stay in exchange for surrendering all arms to Russia and cooperate in the fight against Daesh.
Zoubi and Masalmeh believe this is a ploy to keep people in their homes only to exact revenge on them later.
“Surrendering arms is far better than surrendering lives,” Odeh said in an audio statement justifying his decision.
The surrender deal has already gone into effect and will apply to Dara’a, Busra, Samad in the east, Busra Al Harir in the north, and reach up to the Jordanian border.
In addition to the surrendering of arms, Odeh said that his men will facilitate the entry of Russian and Syrian police to villages in the south, where they will raise the Syrian flag and reopen schools, police stations, and government agencies.
The rebels will be given a six-month grace period to join the Syrian army, with Russian guarantees that they will not be arrested.
“With the shameful American withdrawal from Syria, leaving its people to face their fate, it is important to spare more Syrian blood. We all saw the catastrophe the befell the people in Eastern Ghouta,” Wael Sawwah, editor-in-chief of the Syria Observer told Gulf News.
“The surrender deal is not an honourable one, but it certainly spares the loss of innocent lives. The question remains, though, whether the Russians will keep their promises.”
Another difference in this agreement compared to others is army defectors and draft dodgers will supposedly be pardoned and natives of Dara’a will be allowed to return to their former jobs in the Syrian government, once institutions reopen in the south.
As a gesture of goodwill, the Russians have already agreed to return the bodies of dead rebel fighters to their families.
Meanwhile, the fate of political prisoners will be discussed at a later stage. The only sticking point with the current agreement is what to do about the Al Nassib Border Crossing with Jordan.
The Russians want it to be fully returned to the Syrian government but the rebels have refused to do this.
They want co-administration of the border, something that Damascus refuses.