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On December 15, 2024, the General Command of the Syrian militant factions, led by Syrian jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), published a post on Telegram[1] about a meeting between HTS leader Ahmad Al-Shar' aka Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, described as the "leader of the new administration," and the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Otto Pedersen.
According to the post, the two discussed the need to review the 2015 UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which called for a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria, in light of recent "changes" in the Syrian "political scene." They addressed the necessity of "updating" the resolution to align with the "new reality."
Al-Joulani highlighted the importance of "rapid and effective cooperation" to address the needs of Syrians, including the "unity of Syria's territories," reconstruction efforts, and economic development. He also stressed the need for a "cautious and careful" approach during the transition period, focusing on rehabilitating the country's institutions to establish a "strong and effective system." In addition, Al-Joulani emphasized the significance of creating a "safe environment" for the return of Syrian refugees and supporting this purpose both economically and politically.
The HTS leader concluded that these steps require "great care and high precision, without haste," and should be implemented under the supervision of "specialized teams" to ensure optimal results.
The General Command accompanied the post with six photos from the meeting.
Following the December 8 takeover of Damascus by the Syrian militants, the Military Operations Command published a brief statement by Al-Joulani, forbidding military forces in the city from approaching public institutions and declaring that such institutions would remain under the supervision of "former Prime Minister" Mohammad Ghazi Al-Jalali until their official handover to the opposition government.[2]
[1] Telegram, December 15, 2024.
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