SWEIDA: Hundreds of protesters gathered in Syria’s Druze-majority province of Sweida on Saturday, demanding the right to self-determination following last month’s deadly sectarian violence.
The demonstrations came after weeks of clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, which escalated into broader violence involving government forces.
Syrian authorities claim their intervention aimed to stop the fighting, but witnesses and rights groups accuse them of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that around 1,600 people, mostly Druze civilians, were killed in the violence.
Some protesters in Sweida waved Israeli flags, drawing attention to Israel’s involvement in bombing government forces during the clashes.
Israel stated its actions were meant to protect the Druze minority and enforce demilitarisation demands in southern Syria.
Other demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans, including calls for the removal of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Signs held by protesters demanded self-determination for Sweida and the opening of an aid corridor from Jordan.
Resident Munif Rashid told AFP that Sweida’s stance was justified due to the unprecedented violence it endured.
A woman at the protest declared the crowd’s rejection of self-administration or federal rule, insisting on full independence.
Demonstrator Mustafa Sehnawi, a dual US-Syrian national, called on the international community to lift the blockade and allow humanitarian aid.
Residents accuse the government of imposing a siege, though officials deny this, citing recent aid convoys.
State media reported another aid convoy entered Sweida on Saturday, but the Observatory claimed the main highway remained blocked.
Authorities previously announced an investigative committee to examine the Sweida violence, but tensions remain high. – AFP
