Amman Syria talks on Suweida go ahead without Druze participation

The high-level meeting between Jordan, Syria and the US scheduled for Tuesday in Amman will not include any representatives of Syria’s Druze community, despite the talks being billed as a forum to address the ongoing crisis in Suweida.

A source told Syria TV on Monday that the meeting "will be limited to representatives of the states only” and that the prospect of the Syrian government sitting down with Suweida dignitaries “is on the table, but it needs time and preparation".

The meeting will bring together Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani and the US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, alongside officials from relevant institutions in the three countries. It follows discussions hosted by Amman on 19 July 2025, which centred on efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Suweida province and seek a resolution to the conflict there.

Barrack commented that “this commitment affirms our collective determination to move towards a future in which Syria and all its people can live in peace, security and prosperity”.

While Tuesday’s gathering will focus on state-level diplomacy, preparations are under way for a separate meeting in Amman that could, for the first time, bring the Syrian government face-to-face with leading Druze figures from Suweida.

Clashes erupted in Suweida mid-July between local Druze factions and armed Bedouin tribes, quickly drawing in government security forces. Fighting left hundreds dead and injured, with both sides accusing the other of atrocities.

Rights groups have documented civilian killings, sieges and indiscriminate shelling, with eyewitnesses reporting field executions of Druze civilians during the fighting. Hundreds or thousands of Bedouins have been displaced, with some forced to be relocated.

On Saturday, the newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that the US Special Envoy has been holding talks in coordination with Safadi, several Arab foreign ministers and the Turkish foreign minister to pave the way for such a meeting. Two sources, one American and one Syrian, told the paper that the session, planned for the end of next week, has both international and regional backing.

According to those sources, efforts are being made to secure the participation of Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, the most influential spiritual leader in Suweida, along with dignitaries from prominent local families and leaders of major armed factions in the province.

It is not yet clear whether invitations will be extended to Suleiman Abdel Baqi and Laith Al-Balous, both influential figures in Suweida’s armed and social landscape.

The absence of Druze representation at Tuesday’s tripartite meeting underscores the gap between the state-to-state diplomatic track and the demands of Suweida’s local leadership. In recent weeks, the province’s spiritual leaders have issued unprecedentedly sharp criticisms of Damascus, accusing the government of crimes against civilians and calling for an international investigation.

For now, the Druze leadership appears set to remain outside formal negotiations, with their inclusion postponed to a later stage that would require more complex arrangements.