Enab Baladi –Mowaffak al-Khouja
The United States has stepped in to mediate between the Syrian government and local actors in Suwayda governorate in southern Syria, most notably the “National Guard,” the dominant armed group in the city, and the Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who remains the key religious and social authority in the province.
The American mediation aims to prevent further escalation and avoid unpredictable outcomes, particularly any potential armed confrontation between Damascus and local factions in Suwayda. The move comes amid heightened sectarian tensions. However, Washington does not appear to be seeking a comprehensive resolution similar to ongoing arrangements in northeastern Syria with the Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, but rather limited and incremental understandings.
The US efforts fall within what has been referred to in the media as the “Amman Roadmap,” an agreement reached in Jordan’s capital with the participation of Washington and Damascus to address the Suwayda crisis, which has remained unresolved since July 2025.
Prisoner Exchange: 61 from Damascus, 25 from the “National Guard”
The most recent development in the US mediation was a detainee swap carried out on February 26 between the Syrian government and the “National Guard,” brokered by Washington between Damascus and Sheikh al-Hijri, according to earlier reporting by Agence France-Presse citing an unnamed source. The source indicated that negotiations were limited to the exchange file.
According to information circulated at the time, including by government-affiliated media outlets, and confirmed by a source to Enab Baladi, the “National Guard” was expected to release 30 detainees. However, only 25 were freed, with at least five remaining in custody under this deal.
In return, the Syrian government released 61 individuals detained during the events of July 2025.
A relative of one of the detainees held by the “National Guard” told Enab Baladi that several prisoners were not released due to family ties with influential figures in the Syrian government. He said the factions withheld their release at the last moment. The government has not commented on this claim.
For his part, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said that what he described as “outlaw groups,” referring to the “National Guard,” are unwilling to disclose the fate of detainees and missing persons in their custody. He added that international efforts are underway to clarify the fate of those abducted.
Meanwhile, Druze figure Laith al-Balous, who is close to the government, told the state run al-Ikhbariya channel that further exchange operations are expected between the government and factions in Suwayda. A commander in the “National Guard” confirmed this in statements to local media outlets close to the group.
A Humanitarian and Political Step
The Syrian government described the exchange as part of the Internal Security leadership’s strategy to strengthen social cohesion, consolidate justice, and support reconciliation efforts, thereby enhancing mutual trust between citizens and state institutions.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said the exchange in Suwayda falls within the framework of a national solution to the Suwayda file, supported by international efforts.
Wael Shujaa, a member of the “Third Current,” a local initiative that proposed a roadmap aimed at preventing chaos through the creation of a Civil Rescue Authority in Suwayda, described the exchange as first and foremost a humanitarian step, and politically consequential by default.
Dr. Samir al-Abdullah, a researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies, said the swap is an important indicator of active communication channels between the two sides, as well as implicit recognition of each party’s weight and influence.
According to al-Abdullah, the step also reflects mutual efforts to de-escalate tensions, build a minimum level of trust, and absorb public anger that has accumulated in recent months.
Shujaa argued that the exchange does not constitute a political settlement, but rather opens a channel of communication and tests intentions while building practical trust before tackling larger issues.
He expects that any next steps, if taken, will be gradual and technical in nature, including humanitarian files, de-escalation arrangements, civil matters, and local regulatory mechanisms, rather than a comprehensive political breakthrough.
Al-Abdullah told Enab Baladi that while such measures are significant, their impact will remain limited unless followed by deeper understandings.
Under the “Amman Roadmap”
The prisoner swap took place at al-Matounah checkpoint, located north of Suwayda city in southern Syria, which is controlled by the Syrian government. Opposite it stands the Umm al-Zeitoun checkpoint, controlled by members of the “National Guard.” The exchange was conducted under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Washington’s role was confirmed through US statements and government hints. US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said the United States was honored to help facilitate the detainee exchange in Suwayda between the Syrian government and local factions.
Barrack also thanked Republican Congressman Abraham Hamadeh for what he described as his initiative and “quiet persistence and moral clarity in helping launch this process.”
“With the valuable assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross, 25 government fighters and 61 Druze fighters were exchanged in a smooth and organized process. Families were reunited. A step away from revenge, and a step toward stability.
It is an honor for the United States to help facilitate this effort. My sincere thanks to Congressman Abraham Hamadeh for his initiative, quiet persistence, and moral clarity in helping start this process. Leadership matters, especially when it brings people home.”
Thomas Barrack US Special Envoy to Syria
Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said the exchange came within the context of the Amman agreement aimed at calming tensions in Suwayda and returning to a peaceful political solution within the framework of Syrian national unity.
The Amman agreement, also known as the Suwayda solution roadmap, was reached in the Jordanian capital on September 16, 2025, in the presence of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani , Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack.
The roadmap included six points, among them support for Red Cross efforts to secure the release of all detainees and abductees and to complete exchange operations.
US Initiative: Conflict Management, Not Resolution
American efforts to address the stalemate in Suwayda have raised questions about how far Washington intends to go. There are no clear signs of a comprehensive breakthrough in the crisis, which has persisted since the fall of the former Syrian regime.
Dr. Samir al-Abdullah said US initiatives in Suwayda aim primarily to prevent the situation from sliding into a new security explosion amid recurring tensions between the Syrian government and local forces.
“Washington does not appear to be seeking a fundamental shift in the political equation in southern Syria. Rather, it is focused on maintaining stability and preventing Suwayda from turning into an open conflict zone that could disrupt sensitive regional balances, particularly given its proximity to the Jordanian and Israeli borders.”
Dr. Samir al-Abdullah Researcher at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies
According to al-Abdullah, the American approach focuses on managing and containing the crisis rather than decisively resolving it.
Wael Shujaa agreed, saying that US initiatives operate under a logic of conflict management rather than resolution.
“The main goal is to prevent an explosion, control tensions, and reduce security risks, not to produce a comprehensive political solution,” he said, adding that Washington is not advancing a specific political project for Suwayda, but rather temporary balances to prevent chaos.
Is Integration on the Table?
Although prospects for a comprehensive solution remain distant, given divergent visions among the parties, hostile rhetoric, and demands for forms of self-determination resembling autonomy in Suwayda, some still hope the governorate will return to its place within Syria’s political geography, especially as developments in eastern Syria move closer to resolution.
Shujaa considers comparisons with the SDF inaccurate. He argues that the SDF emerged from an international project backed by regional balances, whereas the “National Guard” and the “Legal Committee,” which manages administrative affairs in the city, are products of local necessity, a security vacuum, and exceptional circumstances.
In contrast, al-Abdullah believes the “National Guard” may eventually move toward gradual integration within state institutions, while maintaining some organizational specificity, similar to what occurred in al-Hasakah governorate in northeastern Syria.
He noted that Damascus appears inclined toward understanding rather than confrontation. Local actors, he said, are aware that their room for maneuver is limited. The United States exerts indirect influence, Jordan maintains a security presence in the background, and Suwayda’s fate remains linked to broader regional understandings and, in the long term, to negotiations with Israel.
Al-Abdullah stressed that Suwayda’s particularities require a distinct approach. Any sustainable stability would require clear local consensus on the nature of relations with the central government, as well as addressing the widespread weapons issue, which he described as highly sensitive due to its social and security dimensions.
Shujaa believes the realistic scenario for Suwayda is neither direct integration nor forced dismantling, but gradual neutralization or functional regulation within broader local arrangements. He argued that the prevailing international logic favors containment and reducing confrontation, not replicating SDF like models.
“Suwayda today is a matter of balancing interests, not a matter of resolution. What is happening is an effort to cool the conflict and prevent the worst, not to reach a major settlement.”
Wael Shujaa Member of the “Third Current”
He added that the conditions for a comprehensive settlement are not currently in place, including international consensus, stable internal power balances, and an inclusive political project.
US Mediation Seeks a “Half Solution” in Suwayda Enab Baladi.
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