Suwayda’s Druze Spiritual Leaders Announce a Break with the Syrian Government — Will the Province Secede?

 On the night of August 9, the three Druze spiritual leaders in Suwayda province appeared in simultaneous video recordings accusing the Syrian government of carrying out ethnic cleansing against the Druze community under the pretext of asserting state control.

Hikmat al-Hijri, Yousef al-Jarbouh, and Hammoud al-Hanawi described the Syrian government as “a power without honor or conscience, one that sold the homeland in the marketplace of bargains.”

Their statements marked a complete rupture between the Druze leadership and the Syrian government following the July 14 battle, in which government forces attempted to break up clashes between a Druze militia and armed Bedouins. The situation became more complex after a ceasefire brokered by the U.S., Turkey, and Jordan, with direct Israeli involvement.

The ceasefire led to:

• A halt in military attacks between the Druze militia and tribal forces that had mobilized in support of the Bedouins.
• The expulsion of Bedouin residents from the province.
• Al-Hijri’s rejection of government aid convoys, demanding that only international organizations be allowed to deliver aid. He and his supporters later accused the government of besieging the province.

The Druze militia relies on Israeli military support, which prevented government forces from asserting control over the province after briefly seizing the city center. This was followed by Israeli drone strikes on government forces and Israeli jets targeting the General Staff building in Damascus’s Umayyad Square and the presidential palace area on Mount Qasioun.

Al-Hijri’s refusal to cooperate with the government led to the closure of the Damascus–Suwayda road. The government opened an alternative route through Bosra al-Sham and Daraa to Damascus, allowing aid and movement in and out of the province.

Al-Hijri demanded the opening of border crossings with both Jordan and areas controlled by the Kurdish-led SDF in northeastern Syria.

In contrast, Laith al-Balous, son of former leader of the Men of Dignity movement, criticized al-Hijri’s positions—especially his appeal for Israeli intervention and rejection of the new authority—which exposed him to accusations of betrayal from locals. His stance resembled that of Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.

In a symbolic gesture, al-Hijri appeared in a video during a conference held by the SDF, which gathered remnants of the former regime and opponents of Syrian state authority. This led the government to cancel a scheduled meeting with the Kurdish militia in the French capital to discuss the suspended March 10 agreement.

On August 6, according to a post on social media, al-Hijri formed what is now known as the Judicial Committee, appointing Shakib Ajwad Nasr—a former Assad-era security branch chief in Tartus—as head of internal security.

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⚖️ Judicial Committee in Suwayda:

The Supreme Judicial Committee in Suwayda announced new organizational measures, including:

• Formation of a temporary executive office to manage the province, headed by Maher Ghaleb Al-Andari, Secretary-General of the province.
• Task distribution across sectors: municipalities, health, economy, agriculture, education, and others.
• Appointment of Brigadier General Shakib Ajwad Nasr as head of internal security, with Brigadier General Anwar Adel Radwan as his deputy.

🎯 Committee Objectives:

• Manage administrative, security, and service affairs in Suwayda.
• Preserve public and private institutions.
• Combat injustice and corruption.
• Form subcommittees for relief, fact-finding, missing persons, and the wounded.
• Accept and distribute donations to those affected.
• Address health and humanitarian issues.

🧑‍⚖️ Background:

The committee was formed last month by the spiritual leadership of the Druze community following recent clashes. It includes six judges (four of whom are advisors) and three lawyers.

In this context, after al-Hijri requested Israeli protection against government forces, the Israeli government pledged to “protect the Druze community” and warned the Syrian government against the deployment of any military forces in southern Syria, while sending periodic aid via choppers to the province.

Amid these developments, questions arise about the fate of the province—between calls for autonomy, which seem impossible given its reliance on Syrian state areas for basic needs and the daily movement of thousands of employees and students, and a military resolution that remains unlikely due to Israeli support.

 This pushes the situation toward a freeze until further notice, pending changes in field dynamics.

Syria news report.