Syria Monthly Report

Summary

Protests erupted across Syrian Salvation Government (SSG)-held areas after news emerged of the killing of a detainee killed under torture while in the custody of Hay‘at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Protestors called for the removal of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani and the dissolution of the General Security Service. In response, HTS has enacted measures and proposed reforms aimed at appeasing protestors and improving its image.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is making arrangements for the ninth session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, due to convene in Geneva this April. An ongoing disagreement regarding the meeting’s location, however, has led certain parties to back out of the session. Although Riyadh seems to provide a compromise location, it remains unclear whether this latest suggestion will prove any more successful than previous alternatives.

Food prices in south and central Syria rose significantly during the month of Ramadan, making it difficult for households to purchase basic necessities. Economic experts have noted higher than average hikes in Syria compared to neighboring countries. In As-Sweida, an altercation between protestors and security forces near the April 7 Reconciliation Center resulted in the death of one protestor. This has heightened tensions in the governorate, prompting community and religious leaders to intervene and prevent escalation.

In northeast Syria, Avin Sweid was elected as co-chair of the Executive Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES). Although Sweid is perceived to be reformist, her tenure is expected to be fraught with both domestic and external difficulties. In other developments, heightened rainfall has benefitted cattle herders by reducing dependence on barley and increasing water levels across dams in several areas. However, the rainfall has also led to flooding, and water quality may be impacted by the release of toxic materials into the Euphrates River following the collapse of a goldmine in Turkey.