Suwayda is without electricity on the 35th day of its protests
Electricity was cut off throughout Suwayda Governorate (southern Syria) on the 35th day of protests against the regime, while residents of the region transmitted new statements by Sheikh Akl of the Druze sect in Syria, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, in which he affirmed that there are no “goals outside the national framework that brings together Syria.”
Al-Hijri had captured political attention, locally and internationally, with his call for “jihad” against the Iranian presence weeks ago, and delegations began heading to his headquarters, and he was also receiving calls from American and European officials.
The last international contacts with Al-Hijri were from European Parliament member Catherine Langzeben, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and responsible for the Syrian file in the “Green Bloc,” on Saturday evening, through which she learned about the situation in southern Syria, especially what is happening in Suwayda.
Al-Rased Network reported, citing sources close to Al-Hijri, that Langsieben touched on several points, the most prominent of which is that they are very interested in what is happening in southern Syria, stressing that they stand by the demonstrators in Suwayda and Daraa, and fully support their just demands that aim for a state of freedom, justice and equality. She informed Al-Hijri that they are working, with their European partners, in the European Parliament to take practical steps to put an end to the suffering of the Syrians, and that they are closely following what is happening in Suwayda, and are very concerned about Sheikh Al-Hijri’s personal safety and the safety of the peaceful demonstrators in Suwayda, Daraa, and the rest of the Syrian regions.
Banners raised by protesters in Suwayda (Middle East)
According to the same sources, the European official strongly condemned the shooting incident of peaceful demonstrators by the Syrian regime that took place in Suwayda, stressing the right of the Syrian people to demonstrate peacefully. She also stressed the importance of delivering international humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, and finding alternative ways to deliver this aid to those who deserve it. She added during her call with Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri that during the coming period they will have a new European strategy to deal with the Syrian issue, the goal of which will be for the Syrian people to obtain their legitimate rights.
For his part, Al-Hijri stressed that what is happening in Suwayda is an extension of what has been happening since 2011, and that the Syrian people have reached a great state of oppression and deprivation as a result of wrong political and security practices, and that they are seekers of peace, justice, freedom, and a citizen state ruled by law, without goals outside the comprehensive national framework of Syria. . He said, “Whoever stands in the squares does not represent Suwayda only, but rather represents all Syrians from north to south, chanting in their tongues, and speaking what is in their hearts. He also called on the international community to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which will ultimately lead to a peaceful transfer of power in Syria, open the door to the reconstruction of Syria, and restore the security lost to the Syrians for decades, and that the implementation of Resolution 2254 will put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people that has continued since 2011.
A demonstration by protesters in the center of the city of Suwayda on Sunday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Al-Hijri added during his speech, “There is a great danger lurking in Syrian society, which is the spread of drugs manufactured in the southern regions by foreign terrorist militias, and this danger is a cross-border danger that greatly affects our neighbors in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the rest of the Gulf states. Today it also poses a real danger to the European Union countries, and the people of southern Syria are innocent of what these gangs are doing that manufacture and smuggle drugs, and target regional and international security and peace, as well as necessarily targeting Syrian society. The most prominent goals of the popular movement are peace at the national, regional and international levels.”
Journalist Rayan Marouf from Suwayda told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri constantly receives local and international calls, to find out the reality of the situation in Suwayda and the region, and last Tuesday there was a call from US Representative Joe Wilson. Marouf pointed out that Sheikh Al-Hijri represents the first authority for the Druze of Syria, and this has been the case with the Spiritual Presidency in Qanawat throughout history since its founding in the nineteenth century. It often received international and Arab delegations before 2011, including ambassadors, envoys, and officials.
Suwayda demonstration in “Al Karama” Square on Sunday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
In “Al-Karama Square” (Al-Sir Square) in As-Suwayda, demonstrations against the Syrian regime continued for the 35th day in a row, demanding political change and improving living conditions, according to activists in As-Suwayda.
The “Suwayda 24” network reported that people from the Suwayda Governorate flocked to Al-Sir Square (Al-Karama Square) to participate in the daily demonstration held there with the participation of women. The protesters called out: “No, we will not return, Assad.” They raised banners calling for the overthrow of the Syrian regime and the freedom of detainees.
Al-Rased Network, which is responsible for transmitting local Suwayda news, reported that a group of citizens removed pictures of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from the facade of government buildings in the town of Al-Qurayya, south of the city of Suwayda, on Sunday morning.
Electric pressure
While the government in Damascus ignores the demands of the protesters in Suwayda, on Sunday it announced a power outage in the entire Suwayda Governorate due to a malfunction in the electrical supply line in southern Syria.
Electricity was cut off throughout As-Suwayda Governorate, and the “Suwayda Electricity Company” announced, on Sunday morning, a general power outage in the entire As-Suwayda Governorate “as a result of a malfunction in the alternative line feeding the governorate in the area between Khirbet Ghazaleh and Sheikh Maskin.”
The city of Suwayda also witnessed tensions that are still minimal. Its dimensions are not yet clear. Unidentified persons threw a hand grenade at dawn on Sunday near Al-Mazraa Hospital in the city of Suwayda. Local sources said that the sound of an explosion sounded at dawn on Sunday in one of the city’s neighborhoods, without knowing the reasons for throwing the bomb, which caused material damage to a transport vehicle that was parked in front of the hospital, and some shops in the place. The sound of gunfire was also heard for 5 minutes in the vicinity of the party’s branch leadership building. “Al-Baath” in the city of Suwayda, where there are armed militia members affiliated with the government forces, and the reasons for the shooting were not clear, according to what was reported by the “Suwayda 24” website.
However, the sources suggested that these tensions were an attempt by the security services to spread terror and chaos among the people of the revolting city. She said: “The security services are striving to break up the popular movement using intelligence means by spreading strife and panic, disrupting the ranks, and restricting the livelihood of the people, such as increasing the hours of power cuts, summoning everyone who communicates with the protesters in Suwayda from outside the governorate for investigation, and other methods.”
The sources pointed out that one of the most prominent Baathist leaders in the city of As-Suwayda, from the Al-Atrash family, attempted to hold a meeting of representatives of families, notables, and leaders in As-Suwayda in the addition of the Al-Atrash family, to find out the development of the situation in As-Suwayda and reach an understanding regarding popular demands that should not exceed the demands for living, and to stop demanding the departure of the regime and the implementation of… UN Resolution “2254”, and the sources said that the families rejected the invitation “because of the close relationship between the calling party and the authority.”
Shooting also broke out, which did not last long, in the vicinity of the leadership building of the Baath Party branch in the city of Suwayda on the night of Saturday – last Sunday, and an exchange of fire occurred in the vicinity of the party building, which has been occupied by gunmen from the Baath Brigades and Military Intelligence since its closure last month.
On September 13, local activists and journalists in Suwayda reported that anti-Syrian regime protesters were hit by gunfire while they were at the Baath Party building in the city of Suwayda.
2023-09-24 15:46:56
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