Druze City Offers Syria’s Leader Yet Another Challenge

Things are not getting any easier for Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his fractured country. On August 18, hundreds of Druze demonstrated in the city of Suwayda — where they make up the majority — with many calling for independence from the central government in Damascus. It was the most significant protest since July, when clashes between Arab Bedouin tribes, Syrian government forces, and Druze militants in the area left more than a thousand people dead.

Protesters carried signs with slogans such as “the right of self-determination is a holy right for Suwayda,” “we demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor,” and “remove the general security service [Syrian Interior Ministry] from our villages.” One woman who addressed the crowd called for “complete independence,” stressing that “we [Druze] do not want self-administration or federal rule, we want full, complete independence.”

Protesters raised Israeli flags, signaling gratitude for Israel’s military intervention on the side of the Druze during the July clashes. However, in a sign of internal division, followers of spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri stormed the Maqam Ain al-Zaman, a site belonging to another Druze spiritual leader, Yousef al-Jarbou, with Israeli flags alongside pictures of Hijri. It was a move intended to position Hijri as the most influential leader in Suwayda, but it also showcased the growing disagreements within the Druze community itself, especially over Israel’s role in the conflict.

Suwayda Steps Away From Damascus

Hijri has been the most vocal and determined opponent to Sharaa’s direct rule over Suwayda, instead calling for a “decentralized system … to create a civil state that includes all Syrians.”

Following the massacres that government-aligned forces committed in Suwayda in July, all trust in Damascus has eroded.

That erosion has led the Druze leadership to form committees to oversee essential services such as water, electricity, legal, and security affairs in the province. But some of their choices for leadership positions in these committees are controversial. Shakib Nasr, a former Assad regime officer and head of the Political Security Branch in Tartus, is now commander of Suwayda’s security forces. His deputy is another Assad regime holdover, having served in Tartus as well. The Political Security Branch is part of the intelligence apparatus of the Assad regime’s Ministry of Interior, infamous for torturing political dissidents in prisons.

Israel’s Plan to Establish a Humanitarian Corridor into Suwayda

Since the mid-July clashes, the humanitarian situation in Suwayda has deteriorated. The fighting disrupted the electricity and water supplies. Additionally, the government-controlled Busra al-Sham corridor between Daraa and Suwayda has failed to provide the Druze community with sufficient aid, prompting calls for the establishment of an alternative corridor not managed by the government. 

Axios reported that the Trump administration is attempting to broker a deal to allow Israel to deliver aid to Suwayda via a corridor between the Israeli-held Golan Heights and Suwayda. However, the proposal faces significant geographic and demographic obstacles. The Golan does not border Suwayda. Nearly 50 miles separate the two, with the predominantly Sunni Arab province of Daraa in between. Any attempt to transport aid from Israel to Suwayda would be dangerous, as the corridor would pass through Daraa, where the widespread availability of weapons poses a threat to anyone transporting the aid.

The U.S. Should Press Syria Toward a Political Solution

The United States has expressed an interest in providing Syrians a chance to stabilize their country. The best way to achieve that stability is for Sharaa to prove to the country’s diverse communities that he is a leader they can trust. He must hold fighters within his military’s ranks accountable for crimes they commit, such as the attacks on the Druze and other minority groups. At the same time, the United States should pressure Sharaa to allow more aid through the Busra al-Sham corridor to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Suwayda.

Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.