A demonstration took place in al-Karama Square in the center of As-Suwayda opposing the Damascus government, just hours after the Ministry of Interior announced the activation of the General Security Forces in the governorate, with local cadres from the province itself.

The local al-Raased network reported today, Thursday, March 6, that a number of demonstrators gathered in al-Karama Square, raising slogans attacking the new administration, accusing it of exclusion, and rejecting its presence in its current form.

The Suwayda 24 network published a video recording of the demonstration, indicating that it came in response to calls that spread on social media against the policies of the administration.

The demonstrators carried the flag of the Druze community and raised pictures of Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three main Druze leaders in As-Suwayda, and Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the leader of the Druze community in Palestine and the occupied Golan Heights.

Sheikh al-Hijri, along with local factions, faced criticism and was accused of a desire for secession, which he denied on Tuesday, stating that he doesn’t call for secession or splitting from Syria.

In contrast, the Sheikh al-Aql, Hamoud al-Hanawi and Youssef al-Jarbou’, condemned any talk of secession and affirmed their support for the unity of Syrian territories.

In As-Suwayda, the Sheikh al-Aql is a spiritual authority and an inherited religious leadership, highlighted by three main families at the top of the leadership hierarchy: Al-Hijri, al-Jarbou’, and al-Hanawi, along with other Druze Sheikhs.

Currently, the Druze prominent sheikhs are: Youssef al-Jarbou’, Hamoud al-Hanawi, and Hikmat al-Hijri.

Earlier, Greek researcher Eva Kolouriotis mentioned that the Israeli government exploits “the fragile and economically besieged situation in Syria to enhance its security gains and present its actions as a fait accompli.”

Kolouriotis, a political expert specializing in Middle Eastern affairs, added to Enab Baladi that Israel is working to strengthen relations with the Druze leaders in Israel, especially Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, and with the Druze in Syria, providing them with assurances and guarantees for their protection. It may have also played a role in preventing the commander of the Eighth Brigade, Ahmed al-Awda, from joining the new Syrian army.

Activation of General Security Forces

Today’s demonstration came after the announcement of the Men of Dignity movement, the largest military faction in As-Suwayda, that the Syrian Ministry of Interior activated the activity of the General Security Forces in the governorate, with local cadres from the province itself.

The movement said in a statement today that the entry of the General Security into the governorate was coordinated between the Men of Dignity movement, the Madafat al-Karama (The Dignity Guest House), and the Ahrar Jabal al-Arab Gathering on one side, and the Ministry of Interior on the other.

It added that local cadres and leaders from As-Suwayda are leading the work of the General Security Forces, to maintain security and combat crime and drugs, with logistical support from the Ministry of Interior.

This step came in response to the demands of religious and social actors in the governorate, according to the statement, as the latter called for the cadres to be from the province’s residents, which local factions agreed upon with the Ministry of Interior as a practical step toward reactivating state institutions and enforcing law.

The Ministry of Interior sent today, Thursday, eight police cars to be handed over to the local cadres tasked with maintaining security, with a commitment to provide more logistical support in the forthcoming period.

The Men of Dignity movement also stated that audio recordings containing direct threats to burn police cars and attack them had spread through social media, “alongside the promotion of baseless rumors and allegations.”

It stated that these threats only reflect a clear rejection of the return of law, “and confirm the existence of parties benefiting from chaos and security instability, seeking to obstruct any initiative aimed at strengthening state authority and law enforcement.”

The Men of Dignity movement held complete responsibility for “anyone attempting to incite discord or threaten efforts made to restore stability,” adding in their statement that “the will of the people of As-Suwayda will remain stronger than any attempts to drag the governorate into chaos.”