Coalition of Syrian opposition fighters
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.
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(
July 2017
)
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The
National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces
(
Arabic
:
???????? ?????? ???? ?????? ????????? ???????
), commonly named the
Syrian National Coalition
(SNC) (
Arabic
:
???????? ?????? ??????
), or the
Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC)
is a coalition of
opposition groups
in the
Syrian civil war
that was founded in
Doha
, Qatar, in November 2012. Former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus,
Moaz al-Khatib
, considered a moderate, was elected the president of the coalition, and resigned on 21 April 2013.
[3]
Riad Seif
and
Suheir Atassi
, both prominent
democracy
activists and the latter a
secular
human rights advocate
, were elected vice presidents. The post of a third vice president will remain vacant for a Kurdish figure to be elected.
[4]
Mustafa Sabbagh
was elected as the coalition's
secretary-general
.
[5]
The coalition has a council of 114 seats, though not all of them are filled.
[2]
On 31 May 2013, the coalition gave membership to 15 representatives of the
Free Syrian Army
, allowing direct representation of rebels from Syria in a political group for the first time.
[2]
On 6 July, the coalition elected new leadership.
Ahmad Asi Al-Jarba
was elected president and Anas Al-Abdah was elected as secretary general. On 14 September 2013, the National Coalition selected
Ahmad Tu'mah
as prime minister of an interim government for Syria.
[6]
On 25 September 2013, some Islamist factions rejected the Syrian National Coalition stating that "All groups formed abroad without having returned to the country do not represent us."
[7]
Structure and aims
[
edit
]
At its creation in November 2012 the National Coalition elected
Moaz al-Khatib
as its president,
Riad Seif
and
Suheir Atassi
as vice-presidents and Mustafa Sabbagh as secretary-general.
[5]
The coalition has a council of about 63 members,
[8]
including 22 members from the
Syrian National Council
.
[5]
On 24 March 2013 Moaz al-Khatib made a surprise announcement that he was stepping down as president of the coalition. Although he gave no reason at the time, he later talked of interference by international and regional actors; the interviewer named these as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
[9]
The coalition refused al-Khatib's resignation. Khatib was still considered the "primary voice" of the Syrian opposition, and the following day the
Arab League
granted Khatib the position to head the coalition's delegation to the Arab League.
[10]
He continued in office for almost another month before confirming his resignation on 21 April 2013.
[3]
The main aims of the National Coalition are replacing the
Bashar al-Assad
government and "its symbols and pillars of support", "dismantling the security services", unifying and supporting the
Free Syrian Army
, refusing dialogue and negotiation with the al-Assad government, and "holding accountable those responsible for killing Syrians, destroying [Syria], and displacing [Syrians]".
[11]
The Syrian National Council withdrew from the coalition on 20 January 2014 in protest at the decision of the coalition to attend the
Geneva talks
.
[12]
Domestic recognition
[
edit
]
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.
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July 2016
)
|
The
Local Coordination Committees of Syria
(LCCSyria) stated that they "[reaffirm their] participation in the National Coalition. The [LCCSyria have] worked hard, and will continue to spare no effort, to ensure the success of the National Coalition in its service to the revolution."
[11]
The National Coalition was supported by the
Free Syrian Army
[13]
from September 2013 or earlier.
[14]
On 16 November 2012, there were 497 street demonstrations in Syria according to the LCCSyria, including 121 demonstrations in
Hama
that "expressed support for the National Coalition" and 104 demonstrations in
Idlib
who called for the National Coalition to "support the revolutionaries".
[15]
Following the election of the Coalition's president, several pro-Islamist media outlets have signalled their approvals for the formation of the new revolution bloc under the leadership of Sheikh Moaz Al-Khatib. Answering questions on his students' portal
EsinIslam
of
The Awqaf London
the London-based Damascene graduate African Muslim cleric,
Sheikh Dr. Abu-Abdullah Abdul-Fattah Adelabu
called upon the
Islamists
and their affiliates to support the coalition's leadership.
[16]
Members of the
al-Nusra Front
and 13 other armed groups stated in a YouTube video on 19 November 2012 that they "unanimously reject the conspiratorial project called the National Coalition and announce[s] [its] consensus to establish an Islamic state [in Syria]".
[13]
A day later, commanders of one of those groups, the
al-Tawhid Brigade
appeared in a video with members of the Aleppo Military Council and Transitional Military Council. They stated that they supported the National Coalition and that the previous day's statement was by "revolutionary forces on the ground" who were not sufficiently represented in the National Coalition.
[17]
The head of the Free Syrian Army in
Aleppo
, Abdel Jabbar al-Okaidi, responded to the 19 November statement, saying, "These groups represent a number of military factions on the ground and reflect their position, but not all military forces in Aleppo agree with this. The military council has announced its support for the National Coalition and is collaborating with [it]."
[13]
Members of the groups listed in the 19 November statement were contacted by
Thomson Reuters
and stated that "they had nothing to do with the announcement" and that some members of their groups appeared in the video.
[18]
On 21 November 2012, the Kurdish
Democratic Union Party
(PYD), which controls territory in the north of Syria, rejected the new coalition and criticised it for "obedience to Turkey and Qatar".
[19]
The
Kurdish National Council
agreed to join the Syrian National Coalition; the PYD criticized the KNC for doing so.
[20]
According to
The Economist
, as of late September 2013, "In the month since America backed away from missile strikes to punish Syria's regime for
using chemical weapons
, the Syrian Opposition Coalition has become increasingly irrelevant."
[21]
In October 2013, the
Supreme Military Council
of the
Free Syrian Army
, led by
Salim Idris
, met with
Ahmad Jarba
, then the president of the SNC. The SMC recognized the National Coalition as the "civil authority" of the Syrian opposition.
[22]
In the course of 2015, a rival for representing Syrian opposition emerged in the form of the
Syrian Democratic Forces
and their political arm, the
Syrian Democratic Council
, which grew in the context of the
Federation of Northern Syria ? Rojava
.
[23]
On 25 April 2018, the
al-Mu'tasim Brigade
, a FSA group based in the town of
Mare'
, withdraw its recognition of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces due to the National Coalition's inability to make national decisions. The group's decision came hours after
George Sabra
,
Suheir Atassi
, and
Khaled Khoja
resigned from the National Coalition.
[24]
International recognition
[
edit
]
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updated
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
May 2023
)
|
By March 2013, at least twenty states had recognized the SNC as 'the (sole) legitimate representative of the Syrian people'. However, most of them do not recognize official documents produced by it.
[
citation needed
]
Diplomatic recognition
of the National Coalition as the legitimate representative of Syria
|
Entity
|
Date of recognition
|
Direct terminology
|
1–18
|
Qatar
|
12 November 2012
|
Sole legitimate representative of Syria
[25]
|
19
|
France
|
13 November 2012
|
Sole representative of the Syrian people and future interim government of democratic Syria
[26]
[27]
|
20
|
Turkey
|
15 November 2012
|
Sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[28]
|
21
|
Italy
|
19 November 2012
|
Legitimate representatives of the aspirations of the Syrian people (verbal declaration by the Italian Prime Minister during a TV network interview).
[29]
|
22
|
United Kingdom
|
20 November 2012
|
Sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[30]
|
23
|
Spain
|
29 November 2012
|
Sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[31]
[32]
[33]
|
24–25
|
Denmark
|
9 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[34]
|
24–25
|
Norway
|
9 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[35]
|
26–29
|
Netherlands
|
10 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[36]
|
26–29
|
Germany
|
10 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[36]
|
26–29
|
Belgium
|
10 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[36]
|
26–29
|
Luxembourg
|
10 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[36]
|
30
|
United States
|
12 December 2012
|
"A" or "The" legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[37]
|
31
|
Australia
|
13 December 2012
|
The legitimate representative of the Syrian people
[38]
|
32
|
Malta
|
22 March 2013
|
Sole legal representative of the Syrian people
[39]
|
?
|
European Union
|
19 November 2012
|
"Legitimate representatives of the aspirations of the Syrian people"
[40]
|
Diplomatic representation
[
edit
]
As of 17 November 2012
[update]
,
Monzer Makhous
was recognised by France as a representative of the National Coalition and as the future Syrian Ambassador "once a provisional government is established and recognised internationally."
[41]
On 20 November, the UK invited the coalition to appoint a political representative.
[42]
On 26 November, the National Coalition appointed
Walid Safur
to be its ambassador to the UK.
[43]
On 23 November, Qatar asked the coalition to appoint an ambassador, becoming the first Arab country to publicly announce it will accept an envoy from the new opposition body.
[44]
The SNCs embassy in Qatar was opened on 27 March 2013.
[45]
On 5 May 2014, the Coalition was officially granted diplomatic status with the Washington office formerly recognized as a Foreign Mission in the US. Prior to giving foreign mission status to the Washington Office, the State Department shut down the current
Washington Embassy
along with several regional consulates.
[46]
Leadership
[
edit
]
Presidents
[
edit
]
Syrian Interim Government
[
edit
]
At a conference held in Istanbul on 19 March 2013, members of the National Coalition elected Ghassan Hitto as prime minister of an
interim government
for Syria. Hitto has announced that a
technical government
will be formed which will be led by between 10 and 12 ministers. The minister of defence is to be chosen by the
Free Syrian Army
.
[56]
Jawad Abu Hatab
(born 1962) is acting Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government from 17 May 2016
[57]
until 10 March 2019.
[58]
Members and representatives
[
edit
]
| This section needs to be
updated
.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
June 2024
)
|
At present, the Syrian National Coalition consists of the
Syrian National Council
and other opposition groups and revolutionary groups, as listed in the following diagram, third column:
[8]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Hadi al-Bahra: President of a dead institution?
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c
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.
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.
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.
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bb
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bd
be
bf
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"
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Moaz al-Khatib: The priority is to save Syria
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]
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.
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- ^
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.
BBC
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- ^
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.
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- ^
"??????? ?????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ?? ??????? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ???? ????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????? ???????"
. EsinIslam
. Retrieved
9 September
2013
.
- ^
Atassi, Basma (20 November 2012).
"Aleppo rebels retract rejection of coalition"
.
Al Jazeera English
.
- ^
Holmes, Oliver (19 November 2012).
"UPDATE 2-Syrian rebels say they seize base on Damascus outskirts"
.
Thomson Reuters
. Retrieved
20 November
2012
.
- ^
"Syria Kurdish leader rejects new coalition"
. Reuters
. Retrieved
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2015
.
- ^
"PYD Leader Skeptical of Kurdish Agreement With Syrian Opposition"
. Rudaw.net. 9 March 2013
. Retrieved
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2014
.
- ^
"Their own men"
. 3 October 2013 – via The Economist.
- ^
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.
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- ^
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.
Modern Tokyo Times
. 2 June 2016
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"First FSA-Led Faction De-recognize "Syrian Coalition"
"
.
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. 25 April 2018. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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2018
.
- ^
"GCC recognizes Syria's new opposition bloc"
.
Al Arabiya
. 12 November 2012
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
"Francois Hollande reconnait la coalition nationale syrienne"
(in French).
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. 13 November 2012
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
"Hollande reconnait la coalition nationale syrienne"
(in French). Reuters. 13 November 2012
. Retrieved
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2012
.
- ^
"Turkey recognises new Syrian opposition"
.
France 24
. 15 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
lanuovaprovincia.it
. 19 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Syria conflict: UK recognises opposition, says William Hague"
.
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. 20 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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. Europa Press. 28 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. 29 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
"Espana invita al lider de la oposicion como "representante del pueblo sirio"
"
. El Pais. 29 November 2012
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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.
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a
b
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d
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.
- ^
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.
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- ^
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.
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.
- ^
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.
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.
- ^
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.
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.
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a
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.
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.
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- ^
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"
. Theaustralian.com. 27 November 2012
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.
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.
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.
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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Overviews
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Main overviews
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Effects and ongoing concerns
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Phases and processes
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World reaction
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Specific groups and countries
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Agreements and dialogues
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