Description
The fall of Bashar al-Assad, between December 7 and 8, 2024, marked the end of the Assad family’s 53-year reign under the Alawite-inspired Baʿth Party. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power in just over ten days, capitalizing on the fragmentation of loyalist forces and the collapse of military infrastructure. This quick victory was made possible by the loss of regime support, the disengagement of international powers, and the temporary unity of rebel factions under Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani’s leadership.
For over five decades, the Assad regime ruled Syria with an iron fist, leaving a legacy of oppression, torture, and forced disappearances. Saydnaya prison symbolized this brutality, with systematic torture, executions, and inhumane conditions. Tens of thousands of people disappeared, though the exact numbers remain unclear. After the regime’s collapse, many Syrians regained the freedom to search for relatives, but painful absences often marked these reunions.
Following Assad’s fall, mass graves were discovered near Damascus, shedding light on the extent of regime atrocities. Some remains were identified as victims of summary executions in the early years of the civil war. These areas had been controlled by loyalist forces, making them inaccessible until now. The full scale of the violence is still being uncovered.
Syria now faces a complex political reality. The United States and pro-Western Arab countries fear that, under the control of HTS and Turkish-backed rebels, the country could become a breeding ground for Islamist terrorism. While al-Jawlani has attempted to present a more inclusive image, promising a government representing all Syrian communities, the country remains deeply divided. HTS controls much of the territory, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold the northeast, and Turkey influences northern Aleppo. A small coastal region is still under loyalist control. Syria’s post-Assad landscape is a fragile mosaic, at risk of fragmentation like Libya.
The new government’s challenge is reconciling internal divisions, securing minority rights, and managing foreign interests while addressing decades of resentment and tension under dictatorship. Its ability to forge an inclusive governance structure will be crucial for Syria’s future.
