After deal with Kurds, Syria’s new administration secures agreement with Druze
Shafaq News/ Druze leaders and representatives from Syria’s southern Sweida province have drafted a memorandum of understanding as a precursor to a formal agreement with the country’s new administration, according to a document.
The draft agreement follows a recent deal between Syria’s new administration and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
During a meeting on Wednesday, attendees discussed Sweida’s security and governance challenges, agreeing on a 12-point framework that will shape the anticipated accord.
Key provisions include the immediate activation of judicial oversight to uphold the rule of law, reinforcement of police and security operations under the Interior Ministry, integration of defected officers and armed factions into the Defense Ministry, and expedited payment of overdue salaries. The framework also calls for reviewing the cases of employees dismissed before August 12, prioritizing those affected by arbitrary terminations, and implementing financial and administrative reforms in public institutions.
The agreement will allow General Security forces to assume control of police stations and security centers across Sweida, in coordination with factions led by Sheikh Laith al-Bal’ous and Suleiman Abdul-Baqi, two of the province’s most influential figures.
Additional measures include forming an interim executive committee to address administrative matters, protecting public and private property, removing unauthorized structures from state lands and roads while ensuring alternative solutions, and repurposing the former ruling party’s headquarters as a university facility.
Participants designated themselves as a follow-up committee to oversee the implementation process and pledged to maintain consultations on emerging issues. The agreement is expected to be signed within 48 hours.
Sweida, a stronghold of Syria’s Druze community, which constitutes about 3% of the country’s population, is also home to Christian and small Muslim communities.
Remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz have sparked controversy in Syria. Earlier in March, Katz warned that Israel would “take action” against the Syrian government if it targeted the Druze community, following limited clashes in Jaramana, a Damascus suburb with Druze and Christian populations.
Druze leaders and religious figures swiftly rejected the Israeli statements, reaffirming their commitment to Syria’s unity. Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, echoed this stance.
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, reiterated their commitment to national unity and rejected any partition plans.
“Syria’s territorial and social unity is a fundamental principle,” Hijri said, emphasizing that no discussions would take place on proposals that threaten it. He stressed that the Druze are not seeking division but rather aim to preserve their heritage within a unified Syria.
