The Current Situation in al-Suwayda': Interview with a Local Druze Faction

Interview with the Shaykh al-Karama Forces

Although the forces of the Syrian government and pro-government tribal militias have mostly withdrawn from the predominantly Druze province of al-Suwayda’ in the south following intense fighting that killed hundreds of members of the Druze community, there are now widespread complaints within al-Suwayda’ that the Syrian government has imposed a ‘siege’ on the province by restricting the entry of goods and supplies. More broadly, the ‘ceasefire’ has done little to repair the widespread loss of Druze trust in the government. It is the government’s burden to rectify this situation.

To discuss the current situation further, I present an interview I conducted today with the ‘Shaykh al-Karama Forces’ (‘The Shaykh of Dignity Forces’). As a brief reminder, the faction- named for Shaykh Wahid al-Balous (who founded the original Rijal al-Karama and was assassinated in 2015)- originated as a pro-opposition break-off from Rijal al-Karama and was for a time tied to Layth al-Balous’ ‘Dignity Guesthouse’, but it currently declares alignment with Shaykh Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the three most senior Druze spiritual leaders in Syria) and denounces Layth as a ‘traitor’ for his perceived role in welcoming government forces into the province that committed extensive violations.

Q: Firstly, what was the role of the Shaykh al-Karama Forces in the recent fighting, and what was the number of martyrs? And what do you think of the words of those who attribute the cause of the fighting to the positions of Shaykh Hikmat al-Hijri?