Rival governments in northern Syria are at it again
Two rival local governments affiliated with the opposition in Idlib province are vying for influence and power, which could further escalate tensions between them.
ALEPPO, Syria — The northern province of Idlib, controlled by the armed opposition, witnessed the first clash between two local opposition governments. Disputes began in early December between the Syrian Relief Government, which was formed Nov. 2 at al-Hawa border crossing, and the Syrian Interim Government of the Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, established in March 2013.
The dispute between the two governments emerged when an official from the Interim Government accused the Relief Government of supporting terrorism. At the same time, other disagreements arose in Idlib and its surroundings in the countryside of Aleppo and Hama, where the Relief Government is trying to extend its influence and expel the Interim Government.
A member of the executive office of the political committee in Idlib province, Mohammed Shakib al-Khalid, told Al-Monitor that the committee intervened to resolve the dispute between the Syrian Relief Government and the Interim Government, both of which are affiliated with the Syrian opposition.
Khalid explained that the political committee in Idlib was formed on Nov. 24, 2016. It is considered a political front for revolutionaries in Idlib and is composed of revolutionary popular figures and activists working in various sectors in Idlib, while attempting to spare the province a clash between the two opposition governments.
