Latest news with #SyrianArab
Morocco World
a day ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Syria's President Ahmed Al Sharaa Reportedly Interested in Visiting Morocco
Rabat – Syria is formalizing a new chapter in its diplomatic relationship with Morocco, extending traditional ties between the two countries. i24News reported, citing a Syrian source familiar with the matter, that Morocco has been officially notified of Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa's desire to visit the North African country. 'Morocco has not yet responded to this request for a presidential visit,' the news outlet said. The same source added that Syria's Foreign Affairs Ministry has sent a technical delegation to Morocco to inspect the Syrian embassy in Rabat. Ties between Syria and Morocco experienced a momentum, especially after King Mohammed VI's instruction to reopen Morocco's embassy in Damascus, which had been closed since 2012. Morocco closed its embassy 13 years ago due to disagreements with the Assad regime. King Mohammed VI stressed that the reopening of the embassy in Syria will 'open broader perspectives in the historical relations between our two countries and our two people.' Last month, Damascus authorities made a significant move aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties between Damascus and Rabat. The Syrian government officially closed premises occupied by Polisario separatists in the Syrian capital. The move dealt a heavy blow to both the Polisario and Algeria. Algeria's regime has long backed the Polisario Front's agenda in Morocco and beyond. In addition to its support for Polisario's independence claims in Western Sahara, Algiers has facilitated the separatists' activities in Syria, further entangling itself in the country's internal affairs. New reports have revealed additional evidence of the Polisario's incursions and interference beyond Morocco's borders, including operations in Syria. A 'highly confidential' document that surfaced in December last year shows a secret alliance between the former Syrian regime under Bashar Al Assad's collapsed government and the separatist group. The confidential document, which dates back to January 2012, was a correspondence from the Syrian government. It showed that the Polisario sent militias to undergo military training with the Syrian Arab army. The document also shows a series of communications between Algeria's Ministry of Defense, Syria's Ministry of Defense, and Polisario's leadership, with fighters divided into four groups. It detailed that Polisario's members traveled to Beirut in December 2011 for consultations with Hezbollah to coordinate military training missions in 'special operations' in Syria. An international appeal is now demanding the labeling of Polisario as a terrorist group. Many politicians from many countries have been urging their governments to take the initiative amid Polisario's threats and maneuvers undermining the stability of the region. Earlier this year, US Republican Congressman Joe Wilson announced that he would introduce legislation to that effect. 'I will introduce legislation to designate the Polisario as terrorists,' Wilson said . He was joined by several other politicians, like Liam Fox, former Secretary of State for Defense in the UK, who also made the same appeal earlier this year, saying : 'Like Hamas and Hezbollah, the Polisario Front is an Iranian proxy organisation. For the sake of our Moroccan allies, Western governments must move quickly to designate this group as a terrorist organisation.' Throughout recent years, several research institutions and think tanks have made similar appeals, shattering Polisario's self-portrayal as a liberation movement and unmasking its terrorist acts as an armed group that is involved in terrorist attacks, arms smuggling, among others. Tags: Ahmad al-SharaaMorocco and Syria
Shafaq News
28-04-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Saudi Arabia, Qatar pay Syria's $15M arrears to World Bank
Shafaq News/ Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced, on Sunday, that they have paid Syria's outstanding arrears to the World Bank, totaling $15 million. In a joint statement, the two countries said that as part of the ongoing efforts by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to support the recovery of the Syrian Arab economy, and in light of discussions held during the Syria Roundtable Meeting on the sidelines of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings, the Ministries of Finance in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have announced the settlement of Syria's arrears to the World Bank Group. The statement added that this payment will enable the World Bank Group to resume its support and activities in Syria after a suspension of more than fourteen years. It will also allow Syria to receive allocations from the World Bank soon to support critical sectors, alongside technical assistance that will contribute to rebuilding institutions, enhancing capacity, and developing and reforming policies to drive the country's development process forward. The two countries also called on international and regional financial institutions to swiftly resume and expand their developmental activities in Syria and to join efforts in supporting the aspirations of the Syrian people for a promising future of dignity and prosperity, which will contribute to regional stability and growth, according to the statement.
New York Times
02-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Syrian Forces Deployed in Majority-Druse Town After Clash
Syrian security forces were deployed across a predominately Druse town on the outskirts of Damascus, the capital, early Sunday, two days after a gunfight between government officers and armed men from a local neighborhood left one person dead and several others wounded. A tense calm has returned to the town, Jaramana, after the deadly clash Friday night between the security forces of Syria's new government and the Druse, a religious minority. The person killed was a security officer, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which added that nine other people were wounded. Druse spiritual leaders blamed the killing on 'an undisciplined mob that does not belong to our customs, nor to our known monotheistic traditions or customs.' There were conflicting reports about how the episode unfolded in Jaramana, but the clash was thrust into the international spotlight on Saturday when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he had instructed the military 'to prepare and deliver a strong and clear warning message: If the regime harms the Druse — it will be harmed by us.' The Druse are a religious minority with populations in Syria, including the Golan Heights territory, which Israel captured and illegally annexed, and in Lebanon and Israel. Syrian Druse and government leaders swiftly and strongly rejected any threats of intervention by Israel. 'We are Syrian Arab nationals, and we await a response from the administration and government,' said Rabih Munthir, a Druse leader in Jaramana. 'We are not asking for protection from anyone, and we won't ask for protection from anyone. We are citizens who have been living on this land for more than 1,000 years.' A Syrian security official, Lt. Col. Hossam al-Tahan, the chief of the security directorate in the Damascus suburbs, said Saturday that it was working with local leaders to track down all who had been involved in the shooting. 'We affirm that no entity will be allowed to undermine Syria's unity,' he said, according to the Syrian state media. 'Our only issue is with those who carried out the attack and assault, and we urge rational minds to recognize that this path threatens Syria's security, stability and unity.' Just days after Syrian rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad in early December, Israel carried out numerous incursions in Syria, raiding villages, launching hundreds of airstrikes, destroying military outposts and threatening residents. Israel has described the incursions as temporary measures to protect its own security, but they have gone on for three months and have raised fears among Syrians of a prolonged military occupation. Israel's attacks on Syria have been condemned internationally, and in January the United Nations said that 'Syria's sovereignty, territorial unity, and integrity must be fully restored.' Since Mr. al-Assad and his government were ousted by the rebel coalition, its leader, Ahmed al-Shara, who was appointed interim president last month, has sought to allay concerns that his Sunni Islamist group would target religious minorities. He has spoken regularly of the need to unite Syria's many religious and ethnic minorities to build a new Syria after more than 13 years of a brutal civil war. Last week, the country held its first national dialogue which included representatives from Syria's many sects, including Sunnis, Alawites, Druse, Christians and Kurds.
Voice of America
21-02-2025
- General
- Voice of America
VOA Kurdish: Afrin IDPs in Qamishli fear returning home
As Syrian Arab refugees in the Kurdish city of Afrin return to their homes in Damascus and elsewhere, displaced Afrinis are afraid to return to their city. According to official statistics from the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria, there are more than 120,000 displaced people from Afrin, 3,000 families of whom are in Qamishli. Click here for the full story in Kurdish.
Morocco World
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Syria President Rejects Algeria's Request to Release Polisario War Criminals
Rabat – Syria President Ahmed al-Sharaa has rejected a request made by Algeria's regime seeking the release of Polisario Front militias who fought under Bashar al-Assad's rule. A Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD) correspondent in Damascus reported that Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf traveled to Syria recently to request the Polisario members' release. The Polisario militia members were caught by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham during an attack launched in November of 2024, the MCD radio detailed. The Syrian president informed the Algerian regime that around 500 members from the Algerian army and the Polisario militias would be under trial along with the remaining Assad forces who were arrested. The new revelation confirms yet another scandal, showcasing how Algeria's regime interferes in the domestic affairs of Syria. According to the radio-affiliated website, the Syrian president said that all detainees would be treated according to international standards. 'The decision caused confusion in the Algerian foreign minister's statements, highlighting the sensitivity of ties between the two countries,' MCD Radio added. The news outlet further recalled the collusion between Iran's proxy Hezbollah and Polisario, which led to Morocco's decision to cut ties with Tehran in May of 2018. Earlier this month, the Syrian National Salvation Front called on Interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to sever ties with the Polisario Front. The opposition group added that they appreciate Morocco's position of extending support for al-Sharaa's presidency. 'We take this good opportunity to renew our deep appreciation to the Sharifian Kingdom of Morocco and its brotherly people,' the Front said in a statement, calling on the new Syrian president to 'correct all the grave mistakes committed by the defunct regime against the historical relations between Syria and Morocco.' Notably, they also called on the Syrian president to officially recognize Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara and to open a consular office in the city of Laayoune. In December 2024, a confidential circular leaked citing that Bashar al-Assad's regime collaborated with separatist factions, including the Polisario Front. The document showed a secret alliance between the Syrian regime and the separatist group claiming independence in southern Morocco. The confidential circular appears to be an official correspondence from the Syrian government dating back to January 2012 about currency exchange rates in Morocco. Polisario members sent militias to undergo military training with the Syrian Arab army, the revelation further showed. Tags: Algeria and Western SaharaMorocco
