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Syrian Brigade Party / parti el-lawa nasar

The Liwa Party in Sweida may be the most organized force that has adopted the implementation of self-administration in the recent movement, and it is the party that is surrounded by widespread doubts about the extent of its relationship with the Western project, and even the Israeli one.

The name of the Syrian Brigade Party emerged strongly to the scene with the outbreak of social demonstrations rejecting the government’s decisions to raise fuel prices, the deterioration of services in the governorate, and administrative corruption. The party itself dealt with the demands and entered the social movement, trying to divert its course towards its political goals, most notably what was stated in its official statements regarding “self-administration” and the creation of alternative institutions to government institutions.

The generalized self-administration project gives regional and international powers more ability to interfere inside Syria, especially Turkey, which is considered the first enemy of the Kurds, and that the solution as a first stage is a combination of centralization that gives the Syrian state the ability to curb foreign interventions, and a form of expanded local administration that is based on recognizing the national and cultural rights of the Kurds.

The province of Suwayda is located in southern Syria, 110 km from the capital Damascus, which is predominantly Druze and where the influence of the Syrian regime is limited to government buildings and military pieces in its countryside, while there are local military formations of people only. Southern Syria, specifically Sweida, appeared to be facing a case of cloning the “SDF” and the Kurdish self-administration, with American support, planning and funding. To establish Druze states affiliated with the United States and Israel on part of the Syrian geography. And within a plan that is proceeding rapidly to fragment Syria after its destruction.

Protests in Damascus, Aleppo and Daraa set the stage for the Syrian conflict. Most experts put the start of the Syrian Civil War on March 15, 2011, when, in the southern olive-growing city of Daraa, hundreds of people were killed and thousands arrested for protesting the torture of 15 students who had scrawled anti-government slogans on their school’s walls. The reported torture and execution of a thirteen year old boy from Daraa has become a symbol of the brutality of the Syrian government.

Parents and other protesters marched through the city demanding the children's release, as well as accountability for corrupt officials, and greater political freedom. The brutal response of the security forces fanned the flames of discontent across the country, with thousands demanding freedom and an end to authoritarian rule. Syria's "Arab spring" was born.

In late June 2021, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces began to attack Daraa, ending the 2018 Russian orchestrated ceasefire. That besiegement soon gave way to a violent onslaught against civilians that has resulted in hundreds of casualties and has left more than 55,000 residents without food, medicine, and basic necessities. By the time Daraa had earned the moniker the “cradle of the revolution,” irrigation canals had run dry.

With the announcement by the Syrian Brigade Party on 19 July 2024 of the establishment of service institutions as an alternative to those affiliated with the Syrian regime, the regime's media increased its accusations that the party was seeking to cooperate with the United States of America to control Sweida. The announcement gave a new indication of its desire to establish an independent self-administration for the Druze component, similar to the special areas of northeastern Syria that are predominantly “Kurdish.”

Since the early days of the Syrian revolution, the regime has tried to depict itself as the “protector of religious minorities.” By claiming to be the protector of religious minorities, the regime was trying to divide Syrians and weaken them. The armed confrontations in Daraa reflect locals’ dissatisfaction at the regime’s handling methods with the southern Syrian governorates of As-Suwayda, Quneitra, and Daraa.

The Men of Dignity Movement formed between 2013 and 2014, promoting the slogan that they were neutral, adopting the principle of “prohibiting” attacks on the people of As-Suwayda and the participation of its population in the regime’s attacks against rebellious Syrians in other governorates. This movement used the force of arms to enforce its presence in the governorate.

According to local sources, the party was founded outside Syria and received financial support from the US forces’ budget in Syria allocated to support the Kurdish SDF militias, which comes from the revenues of Syrian oil and gas wells controlled by US forces. The idea of the party began with a military wing first under the auspices of US intelligence, i.e. forming a military force that the United States worked to establish and train with the help of the leaders of the US-affiliated “SDF” militias east of the Euphrates.

It was known at the time as the “Counter-Terrorism Force.” This force received financial and military support and backing, according to Syrian sources, from the nearby Al-Tanf base at the triangle of the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian borders. Its mission was to fight and prevent any presence of Iranian or Hezbollah elements in Sweida and to expand and gain geographical control over the eastern countryside areas of the governorate as a first step towards complete military control over the entire southern governorate.

In February 2021, Samer al-Hakim attempted to form an armed group in the village of Khazma in the southeastern countryside of Sweida Governorate. The local news network "Suwayda 24" quoted private sources as saying that Samer al-Hakim told the village dignitaries that he was seeking to form an armed faction with the support of unnamed foreign countries and that he intended to establish a training camp and that the door to membership was open in exchange for attractive monthly salaries. Al-Hakim added that "female fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia will supervise the training operations and that the faction will be the nucleus for establishing protection and self-administration in the province and will undertake the task of combating smuggling operations towards the Jordanian border."

The local Al-Suwayda 24 network said the party's military wing, the counter-terrorism force, has received "some of the most dangerous gangs in Suwayda," which "undermines the narrative of the announcement of the fight against insecurity and gangs responsible for kidnappings and drug trafficking," according to the network. "The majority of those affiliated with these forces are not assessed or studied for their backgrounds, but joining is for monthly salaries of up to 250,000 Syrian pounds ($75) per element, as they undergo training courses for individual combat, ranging from one week to 15 days," the network said.

In early July 2021, counter-terrorism forces announced that they would take part in the fight against "anyone who threatens the safety of civilians" and in fighting the return of ISIS, which it said threatened the safety of eastern villages. They said this was due to "the great insecurity in southern Syria, specifically in Suwayda, and the proliferation of terrorist gangs that kidnap and terrorize civilians with security cards supported by the security services and spread drugs among the younger generation."

After Al-Hakim failed in his first attempt and was expelled by the villagers who rejected his project, he formed an alliance with Malik Abu Al-Khair and re-formed his group under the name of the “Anti-Terrorism Force,” which is considered the military arm of the “Syrian Brigade” party. With the formation of the anti-terrorism force, there was a conflict of interest in drug smuggling routes, as al-Hakim prohibited smuggling except through him, which led to a clash with other factions and security agencies that ultimately led to his killing southeast of the Sweida Governorate, despite Abu Khair’s assurances that the international coalition would intervene to protect al-Hakim, which never happened, and al-Hakim was nothing more than a scapegoat.”

In June 2022, Syrian army forces and local groups loyal to them in Sweida managed to enter the town of Khazma in the southeastern countryside of Sweida, after clashes with the "Counter-Terrorism Force" cooperating with the American Al-Tanf base. The clashes resulted in the killing of the leader of the "Counter-Terrorism Force" group, Samer Al-Hakim , whose body was thrown by the security groups at the Al-Mashnaqah roundabout in the center of Sweida city.

Formed on 11 July 2021, and headed by the French-based journalist, Malik Abu al-Khair, the party describes itself as a "secular civil political party" and that it "is launched from the Sweida Governorate to all Syrian territories. Its first goals are to emphasize the unity of Syrian territories, and to work on the transition from authoritarian rule to sound democratic rule, multiple powers, and the peaceful transfer of powers, and to build a single Syrian national identity that respects pluralism."

The party's founder did not hesitate to talk about his efforts to obtain support from the United States of America to implement his party's goals, which include, in part, fighting terrorism and fighting ISIS cells in the eastern Sweida countryside on the outskirts of the Syrian desert. According to media sources, Washington is not the only one communicating with the founders of the new party, but rather the funding for the "Syrian Brigade" party comes from both Britain and Qatar.

The party announced that it was founded in “cooperation with international and regional parties, in order to achieve a dream, which is the return of Sweida to its historical political role that we are proud of in the Syrian arena, and even the Arab world,” after “the collapse of state institutions and the inability to secure bread, medicine, electricity, water, and all the requirements of life, in light of a system of corruption that is not subject to reform.”

The party has a military wing called the “Anti-Terrorism Force,” which describes itself as “an independent military force with its own leadership and personnel, all of whom are from the Sweida Governorate, aiming to fill the security vacuum in Sweida.”

It is worth noting that the party declares that it is an unarmed political party, but it announced that it has coordination with the Counter-Terrorism Force based on a joint memorandum of understanding between the two entities, one of the provisions of which is that the party represents, politically and internationally, and through international forums, the issues of combating terrorism and the harm it causes to Syrian societies, and that the Counter-Terrorism Force pledges to protect civilians and treat them humanely in the areas where it is present, and to allow party members to conduct permanent monitoring of the work of the checkpoints or points affiliated with the Counter-Terrorism Force and monitor them and ensure that there are no violations against civilians.

On 03 August 2021 the newly formed Syrian Brigade Party and its military wing, the Anti-Terrorism Force, warned in a statement of infighting planned by security forces of the Syrian government. Samih al-Mahmoud (a pseudonym), a close associate of the Anti-Terrorism Force, said, “The warning comes against the backdrop of the National Defense Forces’ (NDF) movements, and its installation of mobile checkpoints inside the squares and streets of the city of Suwayda.”

The government Military Security sought to plunge the Druze (the majority ethnoreligious group in Suwayda) into infighting by pushing pro-government local factions, especially the NDF, into a military confrontation against factions that do not operate under its command,” he told North Press. Al-Mahmoud said that the rumors promoted by the government security in Suwayda that the anti-terror force was preparing for false flag assassinations targeting of leaders of the ruling Baath Party in Suwayda, the leaders of the National Defense, and the leaders of Iranian militias.

Armed attacks and kidnappings targeting the headquarters of local factions, dignitaries and political and human rights activists, or even civilian property have increasingly escalated since August. Most likely, many of the violations and assassinations have been schemed and carried out by groups linked to the regime’s military intelligence, and it seems that they have been doing so to establish an unstable environment that might pave the way to further intervention of the regime's security services in the Governorate of As-Suwayda.

In 2021 the regime moved lawless groups, primarily the National Defence militias, to face the “Syrian awakening,” but the residents of Shahba and al-Raha towns in As-Suwayda countryside challenged the regime’s scheme and thwarted it, causing these gangs to be expelled from various regions. The gangs active in the region are not mere thugs grouped in lawless gangs. The gangs are security proxy groups managed by the regime’s security services, all under a “hellish cunning scheme” that could hardly be proven.

In 2023, demonstrations erupted in areas controlled by the regime in protest against the deterioration of economic conditions, starting from the city of Sweida in the south, which has a Druze majority, and quickly spread to include 7 governorates.

As-Suwayda also spelled Sweida, is a mainly Druze city located in southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan. The situation in Sweida governorate has been characterized as unstable and chaotic, with insecurity prevailing. The governorate of Sweida is located in the southern part of Syria and has borders with the governorates of Dar’a and Rural Damascus and an international border with Jordan to its south. Sweida governorate comprises three districts: As-Sweida, Shahba and Salkhad. As of May 2022, UNOCHA estimated the population of Sweida at 379 223 inhabitants. The Druze community makes up 91 % of the governorate’s total population.

Factors such as the geographical proximity to Jordan, the limited GoS-control, the considerable influence of armed gangs and high crime rate in the governorate have contributed to making Sweida one of Syria’s smuggling hotspots. During the conflict, the governorate of Sweida officially remained under GoS control. However, the GoS has not exercised its power directly in Sweida, having mainly relied on local armed factions sponsored by intelligence agencies and security branches.

The Syrian Brigade Party operating in the Syrian As-Suwayda announced the implementation of actual steps towards the implementation of the Autonomous Administration system in As-Suwayda and all of southern Syria. The head of the Syrian Brigade Party revealed several steps they took on the way to implementing the Autonomous Administration model, such as opening offices and providing services to citizens, and confirmed that they are preparing for other stages aimed at building a political-social-civil body to manage their regions, indicating that the experience of North and East Syria was an inspiration to them.

The head of the Syrian Brigade Party, Malik Abu al-Khair, spoke 20 July 2023 to ANHA's agency about the political circumstances that prompted them to implement the Autonomous Administration model, saying: "State institutions no longer have the ability to serve society in light of the great corruption spread within these institutions, as corruption has reached stages that have become difficult to reform or limit, as thefts are done openly, and the reality of services is at its lowest level in decades. For example, there are neighborhoods in southern Syria that have not received water for 3 months, and there are other neighborhoods that have reached 5 months without water, and in the field of electricity, the power cuts have reached 6 continuous hours, and sometimes more, in neighborhoods in southern Syria.

Regarding the need to implement the Autonomous Administration model as a solution to the Syrian crisis, Malik Abu al-Khair said: "It has become extremely necessary, especially with the reality of theft and looting that is practiced without mercy or pity against citizens and the country's transformation into a hotbed of corruption in the security, economic and military fields and the disintegration of state institutions. It has become necessary to put forward the concept of Autonomous Administration to rebuild society first and this is important, and to save what can be saved from the country and unify efforts with all Syrian political and social components to confirm the unity of the Syrian lands and rebuild the coming Syria again with a new concept."

Sweida remained formally under GoS control during the reference period and GoS security forces remained widely present in the governorate. Sites operated by the GoS, its allies, and pro-GoS militias were located in the western half of the governorate, with concentrations around Sweida city and along the governorate’s western border with Dar’a. A number of Russian and Iranian sites were clustered in the governorate’s centre and west. Iranian-backed factions had a strong presence in the governorate and were ‘heavily involved’ in cross-border Captagon trade.

Multiple local forces were active in the governorate, some of which were reportedly tied to the GoS while others opposed it. Local factions were said to ‘maintain channels of communication’ with the GoS and its security services, although these channels ‘differ from one military group to another’. On many occasions local factions have clashed with each other.

Attacks with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), targeted killings, abductions, exchanges of fire as well as limited clashes have been recorded during the reporting period. Local disputes at times evolved into clashes between various armed groups and forces, sometimes including GoS-forces, or even the civilian population. In December 2022, several months of daily protests due to the deteriorating living conditions led to the ransack of the governor´s office and attempted seize of the city’s police headquarters. The security forces responded with gun fire and two people were killed.

In July 2023, in the context of civilians being arrested by the security forces, armed groups and residents blocked roads and detained members of GoS forces in at least two instances. In August 2023, large scale anti-GoS protests took place in Sweida, although the GoS reportedly refrained from cracking down on the demonstrations. The protests reportedly continued in September and October 2023, albeit on a smaller scale. On two documented incidents security forces reportedly opened fire at protesters who attempted to storm governorate buildings.

Criminal gang activities, including kidnapping and killings, have also been reported. Kidnappings of civilians were reported on the Damascus–Sweida road, frequently occurring around the al-Masmiyah security checkpoint, but also between al-Shahba city and as-Sweida. There were also ‘retaliatory, tit-for-tat kidnappings’ between rivalling gangs in Sweida and Dar’a that occasionally took a sectarian character. A rise in armed attacks and assassinations between January and mid-July 2023 has also been reported. Unidentified gunmen targeted civilians as part of robberies or for unknown reasons. Several persons were also killed in armed disputes between individuals or rural families and altercations with a drug dealer or Bedouin tribesmen.

Sweeping anti-smuggling raids have also been reported while, in May 2023, an alleged Jordanian military aircraft targeted the house of a prominent drug smuggler with links to Lebanese Hezbollah in the eastern Sweida countryside, killing eight civilians.

The Syrian Brigade Party revealed the establishment of the Labor and Municipalities Office, in addition to the Water Services Office, the Rapid Medical Intervention Office, and also the Civil Defense Team, stressing that it is taking "well-considered steps" towards self-management of the community, as it described it. This July witnessed the launch of several service projects by the Syrian Brigade Party, most notably the Women’s Office providing support to 100 women in the governorate, in addition to revealing the distribution of water to 460 families in 6 neighborhoods of the city of Sweida, and the existence of a plan by the Water Office targeting free distribution to 4,000 families with middle incomes and those who lost their breadwinners.

On 15 June 2024, the Syrian Brigade Party launched a popular campaign to combat drugs and their promotion, calling on the people of the province and all components of southern Syria to unite in order to combat this phenomenon, which it considered more dangerous than weapons, implicitly accusing religious and societal leaders of protecting drug promotion.

According to activists from the Sweida Governorate who spoke to the Syria TV website - who requested not to be named for security reasons - the Syrian Brigade Party seeks, through highlighting its presence in the service sector, to find an alternative to the failure of its military project represented by the Counter-Terrorism Force, which was dealt a severe blow in June 2022 following a security campaign carried out by the Syrian regime against it, which resulted in the killing of its actual leader, Samer al-Hakim, in addition to the disengagement of many groups from the force.

Activists confirmed that the anti-terrorism force was aiming to control the entire eastern countryside of Sweida Governorate, but its project did not succeed due to the lack of acceptance of its project, as it carries the seeds of secession and justifies the Syrian regime and Russia’s use of military force against Sweida. According to activists, the media escalation by the Syrian Brigade Party aims to attract additional support from donors in order to expand the support it provides to the people of Sweida with the aim of marketing its political project, stressing that its activity is no different from what many civil society organizations are doing, some of which are making broader efforts than the Brigade Party offices.

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Suwayda, on 01 December 2024 described Syria as standing at a historic crossroads. In a statement on Sunday, he called for an end to the years-long conflict and the suffering it has inflicted on Syrians. “Syria is at a historic turning point that requires ending the conflict and stopping the killing machine that has claimed the lives of Syrians and caused their displacement and migration over the years,” Sheikh Al-Hijri said. “The Syrian citizen has paid the highest price for this prolonged conflict.”

Reflecting on the recent gains by revolutionary forces in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, Sheikh Al-Hijri reaffirmed the right of displaced Syrians to return to their homes and reclaim their legitimate rights. He emphasized that Syria must be a homeland for all its people, without discrimination or exclusion, rooted in the principles of freedom and dignity. “We call on all parties to exercise self-restraint and avoid any acts of revenge that may deepen the wounds and disrupt peace and national reconciliation efforts,” he said. Al-Hijri also urged the international community to work toward a comprehensive political transition.

In Daraa and Suwayda, symbols of resistance against the Assad regime, solidarity with the Repelling the Aggression campaign has manifested through civil and military defiance. In Suwayda, rocket-propelled grenades struck regime targets, including the Air Force Intelligence branch and the Baath Party headquarters. Armed clashes at the police command building left several officers injured, while other regime positions came under attack.

Alongside the rebel advance to the outskirts of Homs, close to Damascus, by 06 December 2024 there had also been unrest in the Daraa region in the southern Syrian Golan Heights. All of this adds up to a chaotic situation for the Assad regime, which requires a different perspective and preparation along the border - also from the IDF's perspective.