Protesters gathered in al-Karama Square in central Suwayda (southern Syria) on Saturday, 31 January 2026, for a rally titled “To Be or Not to Be.”
The local activist network al-Rased described it as “one of the largest gatherings Suwayda has seen in recent years.”
It said the rally followed a call by several local figures in the governorate demanding the right to self-determination.
Suwayda 24 reported that the protest also came in response to a call by Muwaffaq Tarif, the Druze community’s spiritual leader in Israel, along with other Israeli figures, and the “Self-Determination Movement in Suwayda.”
During the rally, participants raised Druze flags and Israeli flags, and held signs thanking Israel.
Demonstrators called for “the right to self-determination, the return of the abducted men and women, and accountability for perpetrators of crimes.” They also raised photos of Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Suwayda, and Muwaffaq Tarif.
Al-Hijri had previously called for full independence, without ruling out a transitional phase of self-rule under the supervision of an external guarantor. He suggested Israel could play that role, describing it as “the most suitable party,” according to his remarks.
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on 13 January, al-Hijri said there was no connection with what he described as the “Damascus regime,” comparing the Syrian government’s ideology to al-Qaeda. He said this would make it difficult for the Druze community to live in such an environment.
He also pointed to the failure of all attempts to build a civil state based on a constitution grounded in equality, efforts that he said had been pursued until March 2025.
A governor’s initiative
Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakour launched an initiative titled “Toward a Safe Future for Suwayda,” under the slogan: “A fateful choice between the continuation of the crisis and a solution that safeguards the future.”
On 27 January, al-Bakour announced a comprehensive settlement initiative aimed at shifting confrontation from the streets to legal institutions, saying the goal was to disarm what he described as the most dangerous weapon: the idea that “there is no way out.”
He added that “continued confrontation weakens the social fabric and creates inherited anger, while a settlement turns it into administrative and legal files that can be managed.”
He said that “rejecting solutions hinders the state’s real role in containing crises,” and called for “opening the door to solutions for everyone within the framework of the law and within institutions.”
Al-Bakour also addressed “those engaged in a path of wars in the governorate,” calling the initiative “an opportunity to move into the space of civil society.” He told influential forces that “true strength lies in wisely choosing the battle, not in the ability to clash,” adding that the state chooses “the battle of law, time, and institutions.”
The governor said the state “has made a decision to protect, build, and contain” Suwayda’s residents, and expressed confidence in the wisdom of the governorate’s people.
The Suwayda events
The Suwayda events began on 12 July 2025, after mutual abductions between residents of al-Maqous neighborhood in Suwayda, which has a predominantly Bedouin population, and members of the Druze community. The situation escalated the next day into armed clashes.
The Syrian government intervened on 14 July to break up the fighting, but its intervention was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians, prompting local factions to respond, including groups that had been cooperating with the Defense and Interior ministries.
On 16 July, government forces withdrew from Suwayda after coming under Israeli strikes. This was followed by violations and retaliatory attacks against Bedouin residents in the governorate, which led to the dispatch of military convoys described as “tribal reinforcements” in support of them.
After that, the Syrian government and Israel reached an agreement mediated by the United States to halt military operations.
Suwayda continues to witness near-daily security incidents, especially along contact lines between Syrian government forces and the “National Guard” affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri, amid mutual accusations of fueling tensions and escalating the crisis.
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