77 violations by Syrian Interim Government of April agreement in Aleppo

As one of the initial subsidiary outcomes of the broader agreement signed on March 10 between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian Interim Government, a 14-point agreement was announced on April 1 between the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods and representatives of the Interim Government in Aleppo.

The agreement’s implementation initially accelerated, but over the past four months, it has stagnated and witnessed numerous violations by the Interim Government. ANHA correspondents have documented more than 77 breaches of the agreement’s provisions to date.

These violations include cases of abduction, intermittent sieges, the deployment of suicide drones, and attacks on Internal Security forces, resulting in injuries to two personnel. Additionally, violations involved militarization, construction of earth barriers, and the recruitment of children for unlawful intelligence activities.

Abduction: The Antithesis of Protection

ANHA agency has documented, between April 1 and September 1 a five-month span following the agreement, the abduction of dozens of civilians, with 18 cases verified across six separate incidents. One tragic case involved the death of citizen Firas Farouq Bouzan (39 years old), who died 40 days after his abduction.

The fate of most civilians abducted while traveling to northeastern Syria, Afrin, or other Syrian regions remains unknown.

These events clearly breach two key articles of the agreement: Articles 3 and 8. Article 8 guarantees freedom of movement for neighborhood residents and prohibits the pursuit of anyone not previously implicated in crimes against Syrians before the agreement. Article 3 assigns the Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with Internal Security forces, the responsibility to protect residents and prevent any aggression against them.

Furthermore, Article 12 mandates “the clearing of prisons by both parties in Aleppo province and the exchange of all detainees captured post-liberation,” which is contradicted by the ongoing incarceration of abductees for political reasons under external directives.

Militarization and Drone Activity

Our correspondents have monitored 32 drone flights over the neighborhoods since the agreement’s enactment. One incident, confirmed by Internal Security leadership, involved an attack by Interim Government elements detonating a suicide drone at an Internal Security checkpoint, injuring two security personnel tasked with neighborhood protection.

The Interim Government has also established 18 military points in vital civilian facilities including hospitals and schools surrounding Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods, such as the French Syrian Specialized Hospital, Al-Kalima School, Abdul Latif Nana School, Iskenderun School, Astorian Hospital, Ibrahim bin Adham Mosque, and the Aleppo Agriculture Directorate building.

Additionally, earth barriers have been erected near the Jalaa facility, with a non-joint checkpoint obstructing civilian movement this checkpoint was not agreed upon under the terms of the pact.

Our agency also documented the recruitment of six children by Interim Government forces for gathering intelligence on Internal Security positions within Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods.

These provocations contribute to destabilizing security and spreading fear among residents, flagrantly violating Article 3’s obligation to ensure resident protection from any harm or attack.

Article 5, requiring “removal of earth barriers from public roads while maintaining main checkpoints under Internal Security supervision until stability is restored,” has also been violated.

Moreover, Article 4, which mandates the prohibition of armed manifestations and limits weapons possession to Internal Security forces alone, remains unfulfilled.

Siege extending to fuel supplies

According to data from the official Fuel Committee in Sheikh Maqsoud and ongoing monitoring of traffic in and out of the neighborhoods, two cases of siege have been recorded: one intermittent and one continuous, involving the cutoff of fuel supplies.

In both cases, Interim Government forces prevented fuel tankers from entering the neighborhoods, thereby disrupting essential services such as electricity provision, bakery operations, and hospital power supplies.

This constitutes a breach of Article 8, which guarantees freedom of movement between the neighborhoods and broader North and East Syria, as well as Article 11, which stipulates that “civil institutions in the neighborhoods shall coordinate with other civil institutions and provide services without discrimination compared to other Aleppo neighborhoods, via municipal branches present in the neighborhoods.” Due to fuel shortages, these institutions are unable to fulfill their service mandates.

Interim Government fails to honor its commitments

A review of the incidents reveals that the Interim Government has violated six key articles and has failed to comply with the remainder, five months after the agreement. These include granting the neighborhoods full and equitable representation in the Aleppo Provincial Council, chambers of commerce and industry, and other sectors as regulated by law.

Articles 1, 2, 9, and 14 serve as legal and rights-based foundations for the agreement’s framework and are considered neutral in classification or measurement.

Conversely, the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods has promptly fulfilled all its obligations, including the immediate release of detainees on the first day per Article 12, withdrawal of military forces to northeastern Syria per Article 6, removal of earth barriers per Article 5, among others.

Pending Articles

Article 7: “Establishment of two Internal Security centers in Ashrafiyah and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods.” Internal Security forces in Aleppo have confirmed taking over military responsibilities alongside their own to maintain the safety and security of residents in both neighborhoods.

Article 10: “Formation of committees in both neighborhoods to implement the agreement on the ground.” The General Council asserts that it has formed these committees and awaits reciprocal action.

Article 11: Coordination of civil institutions in the neighborhoods with others to provide equal services compared to the rest of Aleppo. Multiple coordination meetings between neighborhood municipalities and Aleppo city council have occurred, but the latter has failed to deliver substantive services, offering only limited firefighting and electricity line repairs at the time of reporting.

External interference attempts to halt reconciliation efforts

A confidential source within the General Council indicated to our correspondent that initial meetings with the Interim Government on service-related issues were positive; however, the tone shifted in recent discussions, suggesting external interventions hindering progress.

The source emphasized their determination to implement all agreement articles unconditionally, despite attempts by some foreign actors, notably Turkey, to obstruct reconciliation efforts.

ANHA