An entire month has passed since Syria’s former president Bashar Al Assad was overthrown by rebel groups and much has happened since. Prison dungeons of the former regime were unlocked, freeing political prisoners held by Assad enforcers. Families torn apart by war were reunited. Refugees have begun to return home and some commercial flights to and from Damascus have resumed.
But there is also much anxiety over what comes next as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) takes charge as the de facto temporary power. Its leader, Ahmad Al Shara, and his interim government have no shortage of challenges ahead. How will they disband all of Syria’s armed factions, run essential services and pave the way for accountability and justice?
At the same time, there are concerns that the interim government may be overstepping its mandate and making institutional changes before a constitution is drafted and free elections are held, but this could take years.
In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Mutasem Syoufi, executive director of The Day After, and Rahaf Aldoughli, a lecturer in Middle East and North African studies at the UK's Lancaster University, to examine the decisions of the interim uthority as it navigates the transition towards a new Syria.