Islamist rebel forces have entered Syria’s capital Damascus and President Al-Assad has fled the country.
The rebels launched their lightning offensive only last week, taking the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs in quick succession before marching on Damascus.
Early on Sunday, opposition forces took over the state TV and Radio network to announce ‘the fall of Damascus and the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s government.’
In an address to the nation, Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali said he would remain in his post and was ready to support the continuity of governance in the country.
Abu Mohammad al-Julani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, has banned his forces from approaching public buildings and institutions, stating that they will remain under the care of the country’s prime minister until they are officially handed over.
The fall of Damascus marks nearly 50 years of rule by the Assad family and the Syrian Baath Party. Bashar Al-Assad was first seen as a reformer when he succeeded his father, but that image was soon destroyed after his crackdown on protestors during the Arab Spring.
During that period, he became associated with atrocities – including the use of chemical weapons on rebel strongholds.
Civilians caught in the middle of this brief uprising had borne the brunt of the conflict with the UN saying over 300,000 people have been displaced since the fighting escalated just over a week ago.
The UN said that hundreds of civilians are thought to have been killed or injured, and at least 370,000 people have been dislodged.
Syria’s brutal civil war began in 2011 after Assad’s crackdown on democracy protests.
Speaking to Vatican News’ Francesca Sabatinelli, Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, spoke of the past hours in Damascus and of his hopes for a peaceful transition to democratic rule.
Your Eminence, what has happened in the past few hours?
“Since five o’clock this morning, I haven’t been able to sleep; I was gripped by fear because I kept hearing gunfire—constant gunfire. Even now, there is shooting in the streets, but it’s celebratory, as is customary here. People are shooting into the air with joy because this issue, which caused so much anxiety, has been resolved. Thank God, this transition happened without bloodshed, without the carnage that was feared. Now the path ahead is steep—those who have taken power have promised to respect everyone and to build a new Syria. We hope they will keep these promises, but of course, the road ahead remains very difficult.”
Are you concerned about what the future might hold for the Christian community?
“The rebels met with the bishops in Aleppo immediately after their victory, assuring them that they would respect the various religious denominations and Christians. We hope they will keep this promise and move toward reconciliation. Beyond reconciliation, we hope Syria can also find some prosperity because people have reached their limit. People were fleeing, unable to survive in the country as it had become… The only desire of young people in recent years, especially in the last two years, was to escape because they saw no future in their country. Now, we hope that a door of hope may open because what we witnessed was hope dying—or already dead. So, we now hope that, with the help of the international community and the goodwill of all Syrians, a path toward reconciliation, reconstruction, and a minimum of prosperity for all people can begin.”
You mentioned the international community, which is naturally expressing concern about what is happening. In your opinion, what role should major powers play at this moment?
“I would say, while hoping that those who have taken power keep their promise to respect and create a new Syria based on democratic principles, my wish is that the international community also responds, perhaps by abolishing sanctions, as they are a burden that weighs heavily on the poor. I hope that little by little, these sanctions will be lifted.”
By Nathan Morley and Francesca Sabatinelli | VaticanNews
