Egypt embraces real chance to end Syrian tribal conflicts

19 September 2017: For the second time, Egypt hosts a Syrian conference for the Syrian “Al-Ghad” (Tomorrow) opposition movement headed by Ahmed Jarba aiming to achieve peace and stability not just within Syria but the whole region.

This time, however, it’s not just a short press conference to announce the final results of the opposition’s talks, but it’s a real chance for the Syrian tribes to sit-down and talk within an environment that believes in political solutions and national dialogues as the only path for peace.


Egypt hosts the first consultative concourse of the Syrian tribes and political parties in Eastern Syria, September 19, 2017


According to Jarba statements during his opening speech for the conference held in Cairo Tuesday, this conference is real proof on what he called the “Arabian project” which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This project is supporting and backing the real, free and balanced Syrian home in which no rights are violated according to Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) movement’s chairperson.


‘We should not be underestimated’


In his statements, Jarba called for a national dialogue between the Arabian tribes in Syria “before it’s too late.” He added that his country will not accept to be a card within other countries’ and powers’ hands. “This is the right time to say our word and raise our voice demanding all Syrians’ rights. We open our hearts and minds for all of you to have a real a chance at determining our destiny,” he said.

The two-day conference supposes to include several closed sessions between the different Syrian tribes to reach a political solution regarding eastern Syria.


Five axes for the dialogue


Five main axes were listed by Jarba for the national dialogue between the Arabian tribes in Syria.

“These points could be considered as a first draft for our dialogue to be edited and modified during our talks in order to get satisfying results by the end of our conference,” Jarba said.





He added that the main axes include, “confronting all kinds and forms of terrorism, knowing that the political solution will not be balanced unless it was based on Syrians’ demands first, and resolutions of the international legitimacy second, admitting all of the Syrian factions’ rights, agreeing on one, clear plan regarding the current transition period, and finally conducting a real national dialogue supervised by the current transition administration.”

On July 23, the first Egypt-brokered ceasefire was announced in the Ghouta region in Damascus, while the second de-escalation deal was announced in an area in northern Homs countryside on August 3.

The Syrian current deteriorating situations have had its toll on the social, economic and political fabric of these tribes, which are integral parts of the Syrian nation.

Syria's Al-Ghad opposition movement was founded in March 2016 by Syrian National Council member, Ahmed Jarba. Recently, the movement signed a ceasefire agreement in eastern Ghouta with the Syrian regime.

The Syrian political situation has been deteriorating since the protests emerged with the Arab Spring revolutions in 2011, when the opposition created the Free Syrian Army to face Assad’s forces. The situation worsened when the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group began interfering in the country in 2014.

About 470,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the war as of February 2016, according to the latest data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Some 1.6 million Syrians have been domestically displaced, while the number of refugees has reached 4.8 million people, the data added.