The city of Daraa has been at the forefront of events in Syria for over two months following the collapse of the settlement that enabled the Syrian regime to gain control over the city, located in the south of the country and considered the heart of the protests that erupted in mid-March 2011, which later escalated into a devastating war with international dimensions and interventions. Clashes renewed once again between regime forces and armed opposition on Saturday night, continuing until yesterday evening in the southern neighborhoods of Daraa. Meanwhile, Russia is attempting to calm the situation in the city, which represents the last stronghold of the opposition in southern Syria. However, the "roadmap" that was supposed to mark the starting point for a new agreement between regime leader Bashar al-Assad and his opponents under Moscow's sponsorship has become contentious after opposition fighters refused to leave Daraa.
Adnan al-Masalma, the official spokesperson for the "Negotiation Committee" in Daraa, the sole entity negotiating with the regime on behalf of Daraa's notables and its armed groups, announced the "collapse of negotiations" with the Assad forces. He told "Al Arabiya.net" that "negotiations collapsed due to the regime imposing new conditions, including establishing military points inside Daraa al-Balad, which led to the renewed shelling of those neighborhoods." He added that "the regime's insistence on this approach will not lead to any calm despite the Russian side’s attempts," accusing Moscow of siding with Damascus and pressuring the factions. He concluded: "In reality, we reject war, but the regime is trying to enter Daraa al-Balad after besieging it for over 70 days."
For his part, Salah Malakawi, a Jordanian researcher specializing in Syrian affairs, stated that "the root of the current problem in Daraa lies in the settlement reached by the opposition with the regime in the summer of 2018." He added to "Al Arabiya.net" that "this settlement was not a political or military agreement. What occurred was merely a purely security agreement; however, its collapse has exacerbated the situation in Daraa as it stands now."
Additionally, he noted that "there are several parties intervening in southern Syria, such as Russia and Iran. For instance, the recent assassination of fighters from the Fifth Corps leadership in Daraa was an Iranian message to the Russians, meaning that Tehran warned Moscow against making unilateral moves without coordinating with it."
It is noteworthy that following the stagnation in negotiations between the regime and the "Negotiation Committee," also known as the "Central Committee," hundreds of fighters rejecting the regime's conditions left the city of Daraa and migrated to Idlib two days ago. Meanwhile, those remaining in the city refused the entry of regime forces into the neighborhoods they control in the south of the city, which has been besieged since late June. The city had seen relative calm for about three years following the "settlement" the regime reached with its opponents, under Russian sponsorship.
