After eight days of intense clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribal militants in southern Syria, a U.S.-backed ceasefire has brought a fragile calm to Sweida province.
Human rights groups confirmed full implementation of the agreement on Monday, ending clashes that began on July 13 and resulting in over 1,120 deaths, including at least 194 people executed in extrajudicial killings.
However, the truce has also triggered a wave of displacement. Official figures report that 2,068 Arab Sunni Bedouin families have fled Sweida for neighboring Daraa province amid fears of sectarian reprisals. One evacuee said, "They took us out with nothing, no money, no belongings."
The agreement calls for the withdrawal of armed tribal fighters and government security forces from Sweida, the creation of a U.N.-led fact-finding mission, and arrangements for humanitarian aid deliveries and future prisoner exchanges.
Advocates warn that this forced movement resembles earlier wartime displacements and demand the full terms of the ceasefire be released. As Sweida stays calm, key questions remain: Will displaced families be able to return? Can this fragile peace hold amid deep sectarian divides?
Stay tuned as we follow developments on aid corridors, return efforts and the quest for lasting peace in Sweida.
Reference(s):
Ceasefire holds in Syria's Sweida, 2,000 Bedouin families displaced
cgtn.com
