The demonstrations, which began in August 2023, have become more intense at Al-Karamah Square in Sweida’s city. The protestors are calling for democracy and the fall of the Syrian dictatorship. During the protests, participants sing slogans supporting the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian revolution, which began in March 2011. They also want the removal of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The Syrian regime’s decision to set up checkpoints in the Sweida area and cut off the water supply triggered the intensification of the demonstrations.
In response to the recent demonstrations, the Syrian regime dispatched substantial military reinforcements to Sweida Province, including armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles, and tanks.
With the onset of the civil war in Syria in 2011, the Druze population in Sweida province took steps to distance themselves from the conflict. The Druze created a variety of local militias to protect themselves against ISIS attacks, which resulted in many suicide bombings and massacres that killed over 200 people.
Following the commencement of some of the Sweida demonstrations last August, there was a lot of interest in what was going on in southern Syria from the United States and Europe. This occurred against the backdrop of attempts to develop political lines of contact with a number of significant persons in Sweida, due to pressure from Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, the spiritual head of the Druze minority in Israel, who two years ago initiated a political movement promoting the “federalization of Syria” and the gain of “autonomy” for Sweida, comparable to the Kurdish-led “autonomous government” in the lands east of the Euphrates.
Sweida residents have continued their popular uprising since August 2023, with daily demonstrations demanding the removal of the Syrian regime, Iran’s withdrawal from the country as an occupier, and the implementation of UN Resolution 2254, which guarantees a peaceful transition of power through democratic elections supervised by the UN.
Suleiman Abd al-Baki, head of the Free Jabal al-Arab movement in Sweida province, told Syrian TV that the Syrian regime had been recruiting “mercenaries” against the area for several days. He went on to say that there were gangs that had previously participated in the killing of Syrians throughout Syria.
He was referring to the Shiite militias controlled by the IRGC, particularly Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun. This is in addition to Republican Guard units and the Fourth Division of the Syrian Army.
The setting up of checkpoints:
The Syrian regime’s action to safeguard a number of military locations in the region by establishing checkpoints that restrict civilians’ movement triggered the return of more intense demonstrations. These are mostly installations for Syrian air defense and early warning systems.
Sweida residents asked that these checkpoints be removed, stating that the regime was utilizing Israeli assaults and military outposts to tighten the blockade, a move that would result in conflicts between citizens and security officers.
The mediators in As-Sweida achieved an agreement with Syrian intelligence to reduce tensions in the province caused by the security services’ establishment of a security checkpoint at the city’s northern entrance. The agreement calls for the relocation of the new security checkpoint from the main thoroughfare in the square at Sweida’s northern gate, which will be converted into a military station without a checkpoint.
The agreement stipulates that the security services will not establish additional checkpoints in the province, while the local armed factions promise to end the escalation and desist from attacking the new military station, but will retaliate if the conditions of the accord are breached.
Disconnection of water:
Another escalation against the government happened when Syrian authorities shut off the water supply in Sweida governorate in response to the vandalism of President Bashar Assad’s portraits.
Activists shared an audio clip of Sweida Province’s water network director refusing to restore the supply of water to residential areas after one of the villagers posted torn images of President Bashar al-Assad on social media.
The official stated in the recording that this action was taken in reaction to the photo tearing event, adding, “Whoever wants water from the president doesn’t tear up his pictures.”
Activists in Sweida verified that this measure summed up the Syrian regime’s previous “hunger or kneeling” strategy toward opposition regions.
Syrian regime troops frequently used the slogan “hunger or kneeling” to send a menacing message to people in general, and regime opponents in particular. This term represents the regime’s objective of repressing civil protests: either the population will go hungry as a result of the blockade and aid limitations, or they will submit to the regime’s power and accept its rule without protest.
Despite the occurrences and violent events, the Druze religious leadership resisted any political attempt to drive southern Syria into separatism. The religious leadership publicly stated its support for the Syrian army, collaboration with it, protection of state institutions, and demand that the police be utilized to enforce order.
