Serekaniye IDPs Committee suspends preparations for 2nd convoy, demands security guarantees

The Serekaniye / Ras al-Ain / Rish Ayno IDPs Committee issued a statement today regarding the suspension of preparations to send the second return convoy. The statement reads:

“Against the backdrop of the blatant and serious attacks suffered by the first convoy of civilians returning to Serekaniye, accompanied by acts of harm, threats, intimidation, deliberate targeting of civilians, vandalism of their property, and gunfire in their vicinity, and amid the absence of adequate and effective security measures to protect returnees, the Serekaniye IDPs Committee expresses its deep concern and strongly condemns the developments witnessed in the city and its surrounding areas, which threaten the lives of civilians and undermine their legitimate right to return safely to their homes.

According to testimonies and information reaching us, the majority of the families who arrived in the city are currently living in a state of fear and under direct threat, while other families have been forced to seek shelter inside their homes and hideouts amid extremely dangerous security conditions. Meanwhile, some families are searching for safe corridors and routes to leave areas of danger.

What happened cannot be treated as an isolated incident or an individual dispute. Rather, it represents an extremely serious development and an attack on the right of displaced civilians to return to their areas of origin. It also raises serious questions about the ability of the bodies tasked with protecting returnees to fulfill their responsibilities.

In light of this, the committee stresses that the relevant parties, foremost among them the government in Damascus, the presidential team, and the security and military bodies tasked with protecting returnees, bear a clear legal and moral responsibility to ensure the safety of civilians and provide the necessary conditions for their return. They also bear responsibility for preventing any attempt to obstruct or thwart the displaced persons’ right to return, including any violation of the guarantees related to the right of return stipulated in the January 29 agreement.

The right of displaced persons to return to their areas and original homes is a legitimate right that cannot be negotiated or relinquished. The committee will not retreat from this right and will continue to work through all available peaceful, legal and political means to achieve a safe, dignified and sustainable return and to end the reality of forced displacement and settlement imposed on the region.

Accordingly:

The Serekaniye IDPs Committee announces the temporary suspension of preparations to send upcoming convoys, including the second convoy, until the minimum security, legal and practical conditions and guarantees necessary to protect returning civilians and ensure their safety and the safety of their property are provided.

The committee stresses that this decision does not constitute a retreat from the right to return or a suspension of the return project. Rather, it is a necessary and responsible measure aimed at protecting the lives of civilians and preventing them from being exposed to danger under the current circumstances.

Our main demands are as follows:

1. Immediate and urgent intervention to protect returning civilians and those trapped inside the city, provide them with safe corridors when necessary, and ensure that they are not subjected to any attack or threat.

2. Opening an independent, clear and transparent investigation into the attacks suffered by the first convoy, uncovering the circumstances surrounding what happened, and explicitly determining responsibilities by the government in Damascus, the presidential team and the relevant security authorities.

3. Identifying the individuals and groups involved in the attacks, arresting those responsible and referring them to the competent judiciary, while ensuring that no perpetrator escapes accountability.

4. Taking serious and tangible steps to end the settlement imposed on Serekaniye, halt any practices aimed at changing the demographic composition of the region, and guarantee the return of the original inhabitants to their homes and properties.

5. Providing clear and publicly announced legal, security and practical guarantees on the ground to protect returnees, their lives and their property, and ensure that they are not subjected to threats, attacks or retaliation.

6. Establishing a clear and transparent mechanism for managing and organizing return convoys, in coordination between the IDPs Committee and the relevant authorities, to ensure the protection of civilians from the moment the convoy departs until their arrival and settlement in their areas of origin.

7. Ensuring that what happened to the first convoy is not repeated, requiring the bodies tasked with protection to fully assume their responsibilities, and preventing any authority or armed group from imposing a security reality that prevents displaced persons from exercising their right to return.

In conclusion, the Serekaniye IDPs Committee stresses that the suspension of the convoys is a temporary measure imposed by our responsibility toward the lives and safety of civilians, and does not constitute a retreat from the right to return or acceptance of the continuation of displacement.

The issue of Serekaniye is a matter of return, rights, dignity and justice, not a matter of aid or temporary arrangements. From this standpoint, the committee will continue its work and peaceful, legal and political struggle to guarantee the return of all displaced persons to their homes, restore their rights and properties, end the reality of displacement and settlement, and establish security and stability in the city and its countryside.” 

A-H

ANHA