Civil society institution in Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyeh demand immediate implementation of April agreement

Civil society organizations in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods of Aleppo issued a public statement on Sunday. The statement was read at al-Awared checkpoint by Ahmed Berhat, the co-chair of the Aleppo Cultural Forum, in the presence of representatives of political parties and civil society institutions.

In their statement, the organizations emphasized, "The residents of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in Aleppo are experiencing exceptional circumstances that require urgent action before it is too late. They also emphasized that blinkered policies and regional tensions have thwarted Syrians' hopes of building a democratic homeland that accommodates all its citizens."

They made clear, "The agreement signed on March 10th between the head of the transitional government, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, included eight key points, including a comprehensive ceasefire. This was followed by an executive agreement on April 1, 2025, consisting of 14 clauses that have not been fully implemented yet, negatively impacting the lives of residents."

They held the "transitional government and its Ministry of Defense direct responsible for the ongoing tensions and security harassment, in addition to violating the terms of the agreements signed between it, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which aim to improve the situation in Syria and ensure a ceasefire."

They called for "the implementation of these agreements, especially after the recent agreement on a ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces from the two neighborhoods entrances."

They also condemned "the humiliating practices against civilians at checkpoints, particularly the inappropriate searches of women, which fuel feelings of anger and division." They warned of their dire consequences for the unity and stability of society. They also called for an official investigation and hold those responsible accountable.

They noted that the residents of the two neighborhoods have a distinguished history of struggle and know how to defend their values.

Civil society organizations made several demands in their statement, most notably:

Immediate and full implementation of the terms of the April 1, 2025, agreement, to ensure the alleviation of the residents' suffering, achieve administrative and service stability, and restore normal life to and from the two neighborhoods.

Ending all forms of siege and security harassment of residents, and ensuring freedom of movement, work, education, and medical care without hindrance.

Opening an official investigation into the practices of searches and abuse of civilians, holding accountable anyone proven to have been involved or exceeded their legal authority, and ending hate speech in the media and social media.

The institutions concluded their statement by emphasizing that the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods will remain a symbol of unity, steadfastness, and diverse societal solidarity, and that defending the dignity of their citizens is defending the dignity of all of Syria. They stated, "We support every sincere national party that sincerely seeks to alleviate the suffering and restore unity among the people of the homeland, believing that the path to salvation lies through transparent national dialogue, consolidating the values ​​of justice and citizenship, and drafting a just constitution that embraces all of Syria's diversity and mosaic, far from exclusion and siege."

J.J

ANHA