Is Sharaa’s Druze crackdown a warning to Syria’s Kurds?
Syrian Kurds, who control a quarter of Syria's territory in the north and the northeast, are closely watching events unfold in Suwayda.
Syria’s defense minister announced a ceasefire in Suwayda on Tuesday, as government forces entered the Druze-majority city for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime, following a wave of ethnic violence that left around 100 people dead. Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra said an agreement had been reached with local “notables and dignitaries” for the city to be under the control of Syria’s internal security forces.
What began as tit-for-tat attacks between members of a Sunni Bedouin tribe and Druze armed groups over a robbery on Friday escalated into full-blown clashes on Sunday. Government forces intervened, saying that they were restoring order, but Druze factions claim the real aim was to seize control of Suwayda. Commentators say that the outcome — the deployment of Syrian security forces in the Druze stronghold — marks a major victory for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as he seeks to secure his grip on power in the wake of his lightning offensive in December that overthrew the Assad regime.
Seven months on, large swathes of the country remain outside of the government’s authority, with the Kurds controlling a quarter of its territory in the north and northeast, and the Druze — an ancient warrior community that adheres to elements of Shiite Islam — holding Suwayda and Quneitra in the south.
Tensions between the Druze and the Bedouin tribes have existed for centuries, with spasms of bloodletting erupting between the two communities over land and other resources.
