Syria's newly established leadership has formed a Committee for Civil Peace aimed at fostering stability through cooperation with former supporters of the Assad regime. However, this initiative has triggered backlash from the government's support base.
The Committee for Civil Peace was created to restore order in a nation deeply affected by nearly 14 years of civil war. Instead, it has become a focal point of national discord, particularly among those who previously supported the uprising against ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. Critics accuse the rebel leaders of enabling a committee that seeks to reconcile internal divisions while neglecting to hold remnants of the old regime accountable.
Public outrage intensified during the Eid al-Adha celebrations in early June when the committee released numerous former regime soldiers, claiming they were not implicated in any crimes. This decision has sparked calls for protests from disillusioned citizens.
Activist Rami Abdelhaq, who supported the anti-Assad revolt, expressed disappointment, stating, “What everyone has been waiting for since Assad’s fall is to see the punishment of those who committed war crimes.” Instead, he remarked, they were alarmed by the release of many individuals associated with the regime.
Formed in response to large-scale killings of Alawites—the sect to which Assad belongs—the committee claims to be working towards de-escalating tensions among Syria’s minorities. However, its purpose has raised questions about how to achieve justice and reconciliation in a society that has experienced decades of violent repression.
The ongoing conflict has led to the deaths of more than 600,000 people and the torture and imprisonment of tens of thousands, with many still missing from Assad’s detention centers. Victims of the regime seek a transitional justice process to hold perpetrators accountable.
In March, armed government supporters killed hundreds of Alawite civilians following a failed counterinsurgency by former regime soldiers on the Mediterranean coast, further heightening fears of vigilante justice.
The peace committee argues that it aims to build the social cohesion necessary for transitional justice, expressing a willingness to collaborate with former regime figures to gain local acceptance. Nonetheless, criticism has mounted regarding its cooperation with Fadi Saqr, an Alawite leader of the pro-Assad National Defense Forces.
During a recent news conference held by the committee, further tensions erupted as supporters of the anti-Assad revolt accused it of enabling war criminals to evade justice and demanded Saqr assist in locating graves of the missing. Saqr, who faced accusations related to civilian massacres, contends he holds no responsibility for past crimes, asserting he was appointed after such events occurred.
As Syria emerges from a prolonged civil war, the peace committee's objective of fostering social cohesion is increasingly challenged by a landscape marked by revenge killings and the proliferation of vigilante groups targeting former regime members.
Nour al-Din al-Baba, spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry, stated that the vast number of former regime and paramilitary forces, estimated at 800,000, complicates accountability efforts. Saqr emphasized that his role as a former militia commander might offer the credibility needed to engage former regime supporters with the new government.
The lingering question remains: Will the public that supported the revolution accept figures like Saqr as partners in building a unified homeland?