Overview
- President Ahmed al-Sharaa declared that Syria’s unification must rely on dialogue and understanding rather than military force or bloodshed.
- He acknowledged that security forces and other factions committed violations in Sweida and pledged to hold all perpetrators to account.
- Thousands of Druze protesters in Sweida have waved Israeli flags and called for self-determination after July’s sectarian clashes left over 1,400 dead and displaced nearly 175,000 people.
- Efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led administration into the state have stalled since a March deal, triggering fresh clashes between government troops and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
- The interim government has scheduled September legislative elections under a system that limits direct voting and reserves one-third of seats for presidential appointments, drawing criticism over its exclusionary design.