Can a civilian-driven 'third initiative' end the deadlock in Syria's Suweida?

Academics and intellectuals in Suweida, southern Syria, have launched a civil initiative called "Third Current" (al-Tayyar al-Thalith), aiming to safeguard civilian interests and break the ongoing stalemate between the government and militias controlling the province.

In a statement addressed to Suweida residents, inside and outside the province, the group said, "We are the 'Third Current', imposed by the reality of deadlock in Suweida province. We raise our voices with courage and transparency, grounded in our moral and historical responsibility to protect society and ensure its stability, dignity, and security. We present this document as a practical road map aimed at protecting society and preventing a slide into chaos through the establishment of a civil rescue body that emerges from the community and works for it."

The initiative includes several points, notably the "condemnation of massacres and the demand for accountability and reparations"; "holding the authorities responsible for the bloody July events, even if some other parties sought confrontation"; and "affirming that Suweida is an integral part of a unified Syria, with consensual administrative decentralisation as the basis for a solution".

The initiative also calls for the safe return of residents to their villages, the release of abductees, compensation for those affected, protection of students, the guarantee of their right to education, and "keeping Suweida neutral from regional axes and ensuring a dignified life."

Activist Samer Al-Tawil told The New Arab that the initiative was "not new".

"[It] represents a continuation of attempts to move beyond the current situation in Suweida, particularly in light of the absence of external efforts to push the relevant parties toward dialogue and a solution, similar to what is taking place in northeastern Syria between the government in Damascus and the SDF," he remarked.

"[Residents in Suweida] do not feel certainty about the future and do not know where events are heading. They need to see a political path toward a solution, away from coercion and oppression by the government or recklessness and adventurism by other parties," al-Tawil said.

He further stressed that "ordinary people want Suweida to remain neutral from any regional conflicts or alignments aimed at dividing Syria or using the suffering of its people as a pressure card against the government. Their primary concern is to ensure security, basic services and opportunities for a dignified living, in addition to keeping weapons out of internal disputes."

"Suweida needs dialogue and the exchange of ideas more than anything today to move beyond the current situation, and no single group can monopolise the voice of the people," he added.

The signatories to the initiative also urged the formation of a "civil rescue body" as a nonpartisan, unarmed framework to address urgent humanitarian and social issues.

"This is an initiative open to development and discussion, not a declaration of authority or a project of governance," they said, and called for "all sons of Suweida and those concerned with stability to discuss it and participate in turning it into a practical path that protects and serves society."

So far, 21 prominent figures have signed on, including Wael Shujaa, Kinan Masoud, Hadi Munzer, Fadi al-Atrash, Muhannad Shihab al-Din, Alaa Abu al-Izz, Jamil al-Jabaai, Soumar Saymoua, Tamam al-Lahham, Tarek Adwan, and others.

Suweida governor Mustafa al-Bakour launched, on 27 January, an initiative titled "Toward a safe future for Suweida", described as a comprehensive settlement initiative aimed at "shifting confrontation from the street to the halls of law to dismantle the most dangerous weapon, which is the idea of no way out".

Complicating matters, the province also witnessed last Saturday, 31 January, a large demonstration dubbed "To be or not to be", during which certain members from the Druze community raised sectarian and Israeli flags.

Tensions in Suweida began on 12 July 2025, after back-and-forth abductions occurred between residents of the al-Maqous neighbourhood in Suweida, which has a Bedouin majority, and members of the Druze community. Reciprocal clashes occurred the following day. On 14 July, the Syrian government intervened to break up the conflict. But the intervention resulted in various human rights violations against Druze civilians before government forces withdrew from the province. This coincided with Israeli airstrikes targeting government forces and striking Damascus, Israel presenting itself as a "protector of the Druze".