US diplomats are in Syria to meet the country’s new Islamist-led rulers, the state department said on Friday, as outside powers seek assurances they will be moderate and inclusive.
The ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad ended decades of abuses and years of civil war, but it has raised concerns about the rights of minorities, as well as women, and the future of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
On Thursday, hundreds of demonstrators in Damascus demanded democracy and women’s rights, in the first such protest since Assad’s departure.
In northeast Syria’s Qamishli, thousands demonstrated in support of a US-backed, Kurdish-led force that is under pressure from Turkey and allied rebel fighters.
The lightning offensive that forced Assad’s departure was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in al-Qaeda’s Syria branch but has more recently adopted a moderate tone.
Still, its sudden arrival in the capital has left foreign governments scrambling for a new policy, particularly in some countries where HTS is designated a terrorist group.
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At least 100,000 bodies discovered in mass graves in Syria, advocacy group says
At least 100,000 bodies discovered in mass graves in Syria, advocacy group says