26.01.25 – 01.02.25
# On the New Syrian Government’s Victory Congress
The Military Operations Administration in Syria announced some dramatic shifts in the country’s governance as results of the so called ‘Victory Congress’. This congress was organized with a high degree of secrecy and was held among military leaders of different factions, including SNA. SDF or DAANES delegates were no invited. The next day Ahmed al-Sharaa gave a public speech on Syria national tv as new president.
Announcements of the “victory congress”:
– Ahmed al-Sharaa is now the official president of Syria’s transitional phase. The 2012 Syrian constitution is abolished.
– A temporary legislative council will be established to govern the country until a new constitution is drafted and implemented.
– All military and security institutions previously loyal to the old regime are officially disbanded.
– All armed factions and political-revolutionary bodies will be dissolved and integrated into state institutions.
– The Ba’ath Party, which had ruled Syria for decades, is officially dissolved.
Key priorities for the transitional phase announced next day on the “president speech”:
1- Establishing a functioning authority to fill the political vacuum.
2- Ensuring civil peace and preventing further internal conflicts.
3- Building state institutions that can serve the Syrian people.
4- Developing a strong economic foundation to drive recovery.
5- Restoring Syria’s international and regional standing.
Major challenges for the new administration:
– Security threats of remaining militant factions and external actors.
– Economic hardship, exacerbated by years of war and sanctions.
– Political divisions within Syrian opposition groups and international stakeholders.
In short, the Military Operations Administration’s decision to dismantle Syria’s previous political and security structures represents the most radical restructuring of the country in decades. The move is expected to face both domestic and international scrutiny, especially as foreign powers —including Russia, Iran, and Turkey— have vested interests in Syria’s political and military landscape.
# Some reactions to the “victory congress”:
Declaration of the DAANES about the “Victory council”
As the DAANES, we emphasize that these decisions should have been taken at a ‘National Congress’ with the participation of everyone.
In particular, we do not accept the presence of some terrorists who have the blood of the Syrian people on their hands. Ehmed Ihsan Fayad al-Hayis, who brutally murdered Hevrin Xelef, Secretary General of the Future Syria Party and Mohammad al-Jasim, the head of the Abu Amsha group, complicit in many crimes committed in Afrin, were present at this meeting.
We emphasize once again that this meeting is not legitimate and does not represent the Syrian people.
Any decision to be taken in Syria without a National Congress including all political circles will be incomplete. The most appropriate solution to end the instability in Syria is a national congress. The exclusion or suspension of any party in Syria from the congress will be no different from the practices of the former regime. On this basis, we once again call on the government in Damascus to refrain from such mistakes. Everyone must take part in the making of the new constitution in Syria.
As the DAANES, we once again call for the unity of Syria as part of our national liberation perspective. We emphasize once again that everyone in Syria must have their say about the future of Syria.”
Reaction a Syrian journalist, Hussam Hammoud, who covered the Syrian war for BBC, Guardian, al-Monitor and many other media, posted on social networks:
What happened yesterday at the so-called “Victory Conference” and the appointment of Sharaa as transitional president was disappointing on multiple levels:
1- A military council, not a revolutionary civilian body, approved it, resembling a coup rather than the revolution of a free nation.
2- Decisions were issued by an unknown legislative authority; there’s no clarity on who approved the dissolution of political institutions or the suspension of the constitution.
3- Civil and political voices were entirely absent, with decision-making confined to military actors.
4- A president was appointed while still technically listed on international terrorism sanctions.
5- “Victory” was declared without securing control over key areas like northeastern and southern Syria.
6- The entire discourse was military-focused, failing to address the Syrian people who sacrificed everything for freedom.
7- Calls for a “national dialogue conference” were actually nothing, what happened lacked civilian representation, reflecting a military-centered vision.
8- Revolutionary political and civil blocs were dissolved by decree and absorbed into the new state, illegally.
9- Military factions remain uncontrolled, a key reason why the conference lacked live coverage, with only select excerpts published to avoid backlash from dissenting military leaders that HTS couldn’t fully gain their trust.
10- The new president’s speeches are aimed at Western media only, not the Syrian people, with no direct address to those on the ground.
11- There was no official Syrian channel for such a critical announcement, Syrians found out about their “new president” through a Telegram message.
The conference was an all-male gathering, mostly Arab and Sunni. Syria is far more diverse than that.
# Other relevant news of the week:
– Tukish drones and war planes continued their attacks. Besides military targets, ivilians were targeted and killed in Tishreen, Kobane, Sirin and Zirgan.
– Delegations of high military officers and intelligence leaders from the Turkish state visited Damascus this weak.
– Turkey declared that SNA accepts the conditions of HTS to get integrated in the new Syrian army.
– Southern military room (Daraa) and Druze armed groups (Sweyda) also accepted an agreement to get integrated in the new Syrian army.
– SDF conditions to join the new Syrian army were not met and rejected the request to joint under the conditions that HTS propose, calling to continue negotiations
– HTS forces deployed on Manbij to asses the security situation.
– Important HTS operation in Syria-Lebanon border seized several weapon, cracking down against arms smuggling routs of Hezbollah.
– HTS continued its operations against regime officials, arresting important figures like Atef Najib, cousin of the former regime president Bashar al-Assad, and former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa.
– Several insurgent attacks against HTS in different areas has been claimed by the “popular resistance of Syria”.
– EU announced that economical sanctions on sectors of finance, energy and transports will be lifted for one year if the interim goverment ensures an “inclusive political transition”.
– Russian delegation was received in Damascus, but allegedly they couldn’t reach an agreement with the transitional government and agreed to continue negotiations.
Revolutionary greetings!