12 Dec 2024
- UN chief Antonio Guterres is said to be deeply concerned by “the recent and extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
- Syria’s new administration invites citizens to apply to join the police force, pledges to institute the “rule of law” after years of abuses under overthrown President Bashar al-Assad.
- Israel’s air force continues to pound Syria, striking ports and missile warehouses in Latakia and Tartous, as their ground troops move deeper into the Syrian Golan Heights, effectively expanding their occupation.
- Rights groups sound the alarm over worsening conditions in the northeast, where fighting between Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish forces has displaced more than 100,000 people.
Turkiye appoints diplomat for long-defunct Damascus embassy
Burhan Koroglu has been appointed as the interim charge d’affaires for the Turkish embassy in Damascus.
The Turkish embassy in Damascus ceased its operations in 2012 as the war intensified, with the operations moved to Turkiye’s Consulate General in Istanbul.
Blinken urges Erdogan to allow anti-ISIL coalition to continue
US Secretary of State has finished his meeting with Turkiye’s President Erdogan. Here’s what was discussed, according to details released by the US State Department:
- Blinken emphasised the “need to ensure the coalition to defeat ISIS can continue to execute its critical mission”. The US currently supports the SDF in Syria, which Turkiye opposes.
- The Turkish backed SNA group has increasingly clashed with the SDF in recent days.
- Blinken “discussed strong US-Turkish regional cooperation” and shared interest in supporting “a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition to an accountable and inclusive government”.
- Blinken said it was important to maintain flow of humanitarian assistance, adding “displaced Syrians will continue to need protection”. Turkiye has been the largest host of Syrian refugees throughout the war
Lebanon denies officials from Assad regime crossed border
Lebanon’s Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi has denied that any security official from the former Syrian regime had entered Lebanon through legal crossings, stressing the authorities’ commitment to arresting any official wanted under Lebanese or international warrants upon his arrival in the country.
Mawlawi’s statement, reported by the official Lebanese National News Agency, came after media reports emerged that Assad regime officials may have fled to Lebanon.
Syria is ‘not prepared’ for mass return of refugees
With the number of Syrian refugees making up more than half the population of the country, the logistics of their return and their involvement in the new political process present enormous challenges, Labib Nahhas, programme director of the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity, told Al Jazeera.
“Although we are living in a moment of joy, of disbelief about everything that happened, challenges are already there,” he said. “Syria is not prepared as a country … to have suddenly the influx of three, four, five million refugees.”
Nahhas added that in order to involve refugees in the political process, “civil society must be empowered”.
“This is a totally unique situation,” he added. “It is imperative to emphasise that there cannot be any legitimate, sustainable, comprehensive political solution in Syria unless refugees and displaced Syrians are directly involved in it.”
Jordan to host US, EU, Turkish, Arab diplomats for Syria summit
The crisis summit is set to place over the weekend, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said.
The summit “to discuss developments in Syria” will include top diplomats from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.
Their Turkish and US counterparts, the EU’s foreign policy chief and the UN envoy for Syria, will also be in attendance.
The update comes just hours after Antony Blinken departed Jordan, where he visited for talks on Syria. It was not immediately clear if Blinken would attend the upcoming summit.
Where are Syria’s six million refugees?
One of the greatest challenges facing Syria after the fall of al-Assad’s government is the return and integration into the society of the millions of refugees who have fled the country over more than 13 years of war.
In 2011, at the start of a popular uprising against al-Assad, Syria’s population was approximately 21 million. In the years that followed, hundreds of thousands were killed, and about 13 million fled their homes.
As of 2024, the United Nations reports, at least 7.4 million Syrians remain internally displaced, with approximately 4.9 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, mostly Turkiye. An additional 1.3 million have resettled elsewhere, mostly in Europe.
This week, several European countries have halted asylum processes – leaving tens of thousands in limbo as they decide whether to return to Syria.
The countries with the most registered Syrian refugees are:
- Turkiye: 3,112,683
- Lebanon: 774,697
- Germany: 716,728
- Iraq: 286,099
- Egypt: 156,465
- Austria: 97,939
- Sweden: 86,956
- Netherlands: 65,622
- Greece: 50,759
Iraq prime minister speaks to UK, Egypt on Syria
In a statement from his media office, Prime Minister al-Sudani said he had spoken with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“During the conversation, the Prime Minister reiterated Iraq’s steadfast position on the necessity of preserving Syria’s security, territorial integrity, and sovereignty, as well as ensuring civil peace under the free will of the Syrian people,” the statement said.
“He emphasised the importance of respecting Syria’s social, ethnic, and cultural diversity and called on major powers to take responsibility for ending the tragedy in Gaza.”
In a separate call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the office said al-Sudani “emphasised the importance of Arab coordination in supporting the unity, safety, and sovereignty of Syrian territories and maintaining civil peace”.
Russia says it has established contact with HTS
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov says there has been direct contact with the political committee of HTS and Moscow, the TASS and Interfax news agencies have reported.
Russia entered Syria’s war in 2015 in support of al-Assad, an event that has been credited with turning the tide in the fighting. Since then, it has maintained several bases in the country.
Interfax also reported Bogdanov as saying that Moscow hopes to maintain its bases in the country to continue “fighting international terrorism”.