Assad toppled: Syria between jubilation and uncertainty
Published: Monday, Dec 9th 2024, 16:30
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After the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, ending his family's decades-long reign of terror, a new and uncertain chapter begins in the country scarred by civil war.
The jubilant mood of most Syrians, who are celebrating Assad's escape to Moscow as a liberation, is mixed with concern about the chaos and new violence that could now threaten. After their successful lightning offensive, the alliance of rebels, led by Islamists, are faced with the difficult question of how they want to govern the divided country.
Residents of the capital Damascus report turbulent conditions the day after the overthrow. "There is chaos everywhere," says a woman named Saina, who lives near the former Assad residence. Groups that "look like gangs" were moving around on the streets. Many people stayed at home because of the confusing situation, and a night-time curfew was in force in the afternoons.
Store owners worry about looting
According to eyewitnesses, many stores remained closed. "I haven't been able to open the doors since Saturday," says a man called Mustafa, who now had the courage to open his supermarket again. "I felt safer today," he says. "There was a lot of looting on the main streets," he reports - but his store is small and tucked away.
From neighboring Turkey and Lebanon, where many Syrian refugees live, there were reports on Monday of long queues at the border crossings. Many Syrian families now want to return to their home country following the end of Assad's rule - despite a catastrophic humanitarian situation in which more than 16 million people are dependent on aid.
UN High Commissioner: Hold Assad accountable
For more than 50 years, the Assad family had oppressed the population in the most brutal way. Bashar al-Assad, who was granted asylum by Russia along with his family on humanitarian grounds, left behind a whole catalog of horrific crimes against the people, including the use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs as well as murder and state-ordered torture.
There are therefore new calls for Assad to be tried in an EU country or at the International Criminal Court, for example. UN High Commissioner Volker Türk called for justice for all victims of human rights violations during the civil war. Assad must be held accountable, said the head of the UN Office for Human Rights in Geneva.
Tense calm in Aleppo
A tense calm prevailed in the second-largest city of Aleppo the day after the historic upheaval in the country. People were streaming through the streets and markets were open, according to eyewitnesses. Apart from the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which took over the government areas in less than two weeks, there were no other armed groups in Aleppo.
The insurgents are apparently trying to gradually establish a new order in Damascus and form a new government. "Our forces are almost finished taking control of the capital and protecting public property," said HTS. "The new government will begin work immediately after its formation." It remained unclear exactly how it would be formed and who would be involved. HTS also published photos of leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani, who had spoken in the central Umajad mosque the previous evening.
Search for political prisoners
With the fall of Assad, the search for political prisoners who have not yet been freed from state prisons has also begun. Members of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, used dogs and sound sensors to search for secret cells in the basement of the notorious Saidnaya military prison near Damascus, as the leader writes on Platform X. The human rights organization Amnesty International reported in 2017 that thousands of people had been killed in mass executions in Saidnaya since the beginning of the civil war.
According to activists, 910 people have died since the rebels launched their major offensive almost two weeks ago. Among them are 138 civilians, including several children, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Syria is fragmented after years of civil war. In addition to the HTS and allied rebel groups, Kurdish and Turkish-affiliated militias are also active in the country. Kurds, Alawites, Druze and Christians live in the ethnically and religiously divided country. The Alevi minority was the most important supporter of the now toppled Assad government.
Russia and USA not planning to withdraw from Syria for the time being
In military terms, the Assad government was primarily dependent on Iran and Russia, which holds an air force base and a naval base on the Syrian Mediterranean coast, among other things. According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow wanted to keep these for the time being and discuss their whereabouts with the future leadership. A withdrawal is therefore not currently planned.
Russia has granted Assad and his family asylum. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, who has met with Assad time and again, has decided to take in the family, said Peskov. An official meeting with the ousted politician is not yet planned. He also gave no details as to where exactly the Assads are. In addition to Russia, Turkey has great influence in Syria, occupying areas in the north and supporting militias there.
Outgoing US President Joe Biden announced that American soldiers will also remain in Syria until further notice. Around 900 US soldiers are stationed in the country. Meanwhile, Israel moved its armed forces to the buffer zone on the occupied Golan Heights and other locations, including on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. According to activists, the Israeli air force also flew attacks in the area of the Syrian capital Damascus after the fall of Assad.
©Keystone/SDA
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