Why the delay in merging Daraa’s factions into a new Syrian army?

PARIS — The commander of the new Syrian Ministry of Defense’s South Division, Colonel Bunyan al-Hariri, sat down with representatives of Arab clans in Daraa, Suwayda and Reef Dimashq on Wednesday in the al-Lajat area of the eastern Daraa countryside.

Those present discussed “the mechanism for joining the Ministry of Defense and ways to integrate clan members into the division’s ranks, in a step aimed at boosting military and organizational command in the south,” local media reported.

The gathering in al-Lajat was part of a series of recent meetings held by the Ministry of Defense, represented by al-Hariri, as it works to integrate local factions into the ministry and bring their weapons under state control. Al-Hariri previously met with Daraa’s 8th Brigade, commanded by Ahmad al-Awda, and the central committees in the western Daraa countryside and Daraa city. 

Damascus’ efforts come amid concerns about the role and future of the 8th Brigade, one of the most powerful military formations in southern Syria, after its commander was conspicuously absent from the January 30 “Victory Conference” in Damascus. Al-Awda sent a representative to attend the gathering, where Ahmad al-Sharaa met with faction commanders, declared himself president for the transitional period and announced the dissolution of the country’s military factions.

Questions linger over what stipulations Syria’s factions have for merging with the defense ministry, particularly following a delay in integrating the 8th Brigade, which played a prominent role in liberating southern Syria and advancing towards the capital last December. 

8th Brigade negotiations

At the start of February, Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra told the Washington Post that around 100 Syrian factions had agreed to come under the ministry’s umbrella. There were holdouts, he added, including Ahmad al-Awda’s 8th Brigade.

In response, 8th Brigade commander Nassim Abu Ara released a filmed statement on February 10 denouncing Abu Qasra’s statements and denying accusations that the brigade refused to join the Ministry of Defense. 

The 8th Brigade remained committed to “principles that cannot be deviated from,” Abu Ara stressed, namely “striving for stability, strengthening Syria’s unity and the safety of its people—far from any polarization or exclusion—and rejecting any internal or external project that harms the Syrian revolution, undermines its gains or circumvents the Syrian people’s sacrifices.” 

While recent statements indicated tensions between the ministry and the 8th Brigade, the two sides met on February 15 in Busra al-Sham, the brigade’s headquarters in eastern Daraa. Representatives from the Ministry of Defense, including Bunyan al-Hariri, attended the meeting alongside commanders from the 8th Brigade to coordinate its integration.

The same day, local media organization Daraa 24 reported, citing an unnamed military source, that “an agreement was reached to begin integrating personnel, weapons and vehicles into the Ministry of Defense,” with lists to be provided to the ministry within a few days.

Commenting on that, a source from the 8th Brigade familiar with the negotiations told Syria Direct “the meeting discussed broad outlines and did not result in anything.” Another meeting “will be held soon with the defense minister, during which the agreement is to be finalized,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. 

“The 8th Brigade has not rejected integration, and has no preconditions,” the source emphasized. “The ongoing discussions are about the nature and role of the four brigades forming the South Division, next steps and [the brigade’s] future role and tasks.” 

The South Division, led by al-Hariri, is to be made up of four brigades—three infantry and one special operations—composed of factions from Syria’s southern Daraa, Suwayda and Quneitra provinces. The headquarters will be located in the former 5th Division headquarters in the northern Daraa city of Izraa, and the number of brigades could increase if needed, two military sources told Syria Direct. 

The 8th Brigade agreed to the merger “about a month ago, and started providing lists of its members to the defense ministry,” a media source close to the brigade said. “Some of its members will be part of the army, and others will be part of the Ministry of Interior’s General Security.” 

The ongoing meetings are “for organizational and administrative purposes,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The 8th Brigade “will not be a single bloc within the Ministry of Defense,” he added, unlike some other factions.

Baraa al-Awdat, the spokesperson for Daraa’s Southern Operations Room—a body formed by local factions during the military operations that toppled the Assad regime last December—expects Damascus’ “General Security will enter Busra al-Sham within the next two days.” He confirmed that “the 8th Brigade has started submitting lists of personnel” to Damascus. 

Remaining points of disagreement between the 8th Brigade and the defense ministry include “the issue of military ranks, as the brigade includes more than 15 defected officers—most of whom defected in 2012—including five colonels,” al-Awdat said. The brigade demands promotions and military ranks for some of its forces, and “objects to the ministry granting high ranks to commanders in the Military Operations Department who had civilian backgrounds before the revolution, as well as to those who were low-ranking officers when they defected.” 

“The current chain of command in the Ministry of Defense is unsatisfactory for the 8th Brigade,” al-Awdat added. For example, “Bunyan al-Hariri, who commands the South Division, defected from the regime as a warrant officer first class, but entered the military college in Idlib in 2020 and graduated as a colonel. Meanwhile, the 8th Brigade has five officers who defected as colonels.”

Other points of discussion include “the geographical scope of the brigade’s work, and to what fronts its forces will be sent,” al-Awdat said. “Will 8th Brigade groups be transferred later to active fronts?” Another issue is “joining as a single military bloc or small groups.” 

Still, negotiations in eastern and western Daraa are progressing “well,” in his view. Al-Hariri is “from Daraa and understands the nature of the region and its needs,” al-Awdat added. “He is from Ahrar al-Sham, not Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which means he is easygoing, flexible and well-liked in Daraa.”

Central committee

On February 18, the Ministry of Defense met with a number of leaders of local armed groups in the western Daraa countryside city of Tafas. Those attending included Mahmoud al-Bardan (Abu Murshid), one of the most prominent commanders affiliated with the Central Committee in the western Daraa countryside. The discussion revolved around allowing all young men in the area to volunteer for the army, “without age restrictions.” 

The new government’s Ministry of Interior has set the age for joining its General Security Service at between the ages of 20 and 30. The Ministry of Defense has yet to announce an age range for joining the new Syrian army. 

Daraa’s central committees are bodies formed in the wake of the Russian-sponsored summer 2018 settlement agreement to administer former opposition areas and negotiate with the Assad regime. They include armed forces made up of former factions, and in recent years played a key role in filling in for an absent central government. 

The February 18 meeting also discussed allowing wounded fighters to join the Ministry of Defense in non-combat roles, as well as salaries and official recognition for those killed in military operations against the former regime. 

Armed groups affiliated with the central committee are to fall under the banner of a single brigade in the South Division, supervised by Baraa al-Nabulsi, a defected colonel, and Ahmad al-Qassem, a defected warrant officer first class.

“The central committee was the first to agree to the merger in the south,” al-Awdat said. “It has a direct relationship with the senior command in the Ministry of Defense,” he added, emphasizing “it will come fully under the defense ministry.” 

One key condition is the need to “preserve the rights of older revolutionaries, especially after the Ministry of Defense set an age limit for joining that excludes many of our members,” he added. 

This report was originally published in Arabic and translated into English by Mateo Nelson.