Syrian former rebel groups have reached an agreement to consolidate their forces under the defence ministry

Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced on Tuesday that he has reached an agreement with former rebel faction leaders to disband all groups and integrate them into the defense ministry, as stated by the new administration. Last week, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir indicated that the ministry would undergo restructuring, incorporating former rebel factions and defected officers from Bashar al-Assad’s army.

Sharaa now faces the significant challenge of preventing conflicts among the various factions. The interim government has appointed Murhaf Abu Qasra, a prominent figure in the insurgency that led to the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, as the defense minister.

Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities, including Muslim Kurds and Shi’ites, have expressed concerns during the civil war about the potential threats to their way of life under any future Sunni Islamist governance. This group also encompasses Syriac, Greek, and Armenian Orthodox Christians, as well as the Druze community.

Sharaa has assured visiting Western officials that the Islamist group he leads, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, will not seek retribution against the previous regime nor will it oppress any religious minority. Syrian rebels took control of Damascus on December 8, prompting Assad to flee after over 13 years of civil conflict, thereby ending his family’s long-standing rule.