Enab Baladi – Hassan Ibrahim
The issue of French fighters in Syria has been present in discussions between Syrian transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa and French president Emmanuel Macron, in a meeting that shed light on a complex file that intertwines security considerations with political and diplomatic calculations.
In a statement following the talks on May 7, al-Sharaa mentioned that “he addressed the issue of French foreign fighters and the next steps in this regard,” opening the door to questions about the future of these fighters and the potential scenarios for addressing their situation.
French fighters in Syria are part of the al-Ghuraba division in northern Idlib, led by Omar Omsen (Omar Diaby), who is classified in the US as a “global terrorist.” The division includes around 70 French fighters and has a contentious history with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which detained Omsen for 17 months.
What is the al-Ghuraba division?
The al-Ghuraba division is based in a camp near the city of Harem in northern Idlib, next to the Turkish border, surrounded by a wall constructed by its members to maintain their privacy with their families, equipped with surveillance cameras and motion detection devices.
The division is led by Omar Omsen (49 years old), whom French authorities say is “responsible for recruiting 80% of the French-speaking jihadists who went to Syria or Iraq.”
According to sociologist Dounia Bouzar, who manages a counter-extremism center in France, Omsen’s strategy was very effective, to the extent that he managed to recruit young people from wealthy families with no prior connections to Islam.
This significantly controversial strategy was successful in combining the issue of Islam with the cause of saving innocent civilians in Syria.
Omsen was born in Senegal and moved to France as a child, before embracing extremism after spending time in prisons. He traveled to Syria in 2013, leading his jihadist unit in the forests of Latakia, and is considered the spiritual leader of his group.
In September 2014, he was placed on the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda for his leadership role in the al-Ghuraba division, which was linked to the al-Nusra Front at the time, and for being a key facilitator of the foreign fighters’ network in Syria, in addition to his activities in terrorist propaganda online.
In 2016, the US State Department designated Omar Omsen as a “global terrorist,” and he was detained by Tahrir al-Sham in 2020, remaining in prison until 2022.
On May 23, 2023, the al-Ghuraba division vowed to release a series of videos in response to “slander” promoted against Omsen and its members by Tahrir al-Sham, proving that the HTS lacks “integrity and trustworthiness, and cannot be relied upon, given that it has betrayed the Syrian people and the jihadists.”
Five possibilities determine their future
The file of foreign fighters has always been one of the most contentious issues with roots extending back years in Syria, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (the main faction that led the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation and toppled the Assad regime) has sought to suppress all factions that do not align with its policies in northern Syria, particularly against foreign fighters, although Tahrir al-Sham denies any systematic policy against them.
On September 5, 2021, the commander of Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), praised the efforts of those he described as “immigrant brothers who came to help” and promised not to abandon them in response to a question about their place in the future of Syria.
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, al-Sharaa stated that granting citizenship to foreign fighters was not impossible and that they could be integrated into Syrian society if they shared the same ideology and values, with some receiving military ranks, and at least six military positions in the Syrian Ministry of Defense allocated to foreigners out of 50 announced.
Regarding the potential scenarios for the future of French fighters in Syria, researcher on jihadist groups Orabi Orabi suggests several options that might be agreed upon, including:
The possibility of integration into Syrian society if the French person is in Syria, married to a Syrian, and has children. The possibility of integrating non-extremist French elements if there are “endorsers” (so to speak). The possibility of handing over the more extremist individuals wanted for certain crimes. The reintegration of fighters and their families into the French environment with guarantees of no prosecution against them. The possibility of a third-country relocation.Orabi does not believe that the al-Ghuraba division could become a hotbed of tension or any danger in Syria, as the number of fighters is small (60 to 70 people), and they are a very weak force. There may be some wanted individuals among them or those linked to al-Qaeda, but this is a matter dealt with from a security standpoint.
During a press conference with Macron, Syrian transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that foreign fighters came to Syria individually, not in groups, to support the Syrian people during the revolution.
Al-Sharaa added that the Syrian government guarantees to all countries in the world that the foreign fighters who remain in Syria will not pose a danger to any neighboring countries and will not harm the countries they came from.
Regarding the possibility of granting citizenship to foreign fighters, al-Sharaa stated that when the Syrian constitution is drafted, it will specify who is entitled to citizenship among foreign fighters and their families.
A source of concern for the West
Foreign fighters pose a dilemma for the West, as three European envoys clarified during a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in Damascus that their top priority is to eliminate jihadist fighters and that international support for the Syrian government could evaporate unless decisive actions are taken regarding this issue.
American, French, and German envoys warned the new administration in Syria that appointing foreign jihadists to high military positions represents a “security concern” and a negative image while attempting to establish relations with foreign countries.
The UN special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, urged the Syrian authorities to address concerns about “terrorism,” including foreign fighters.
Among the US requirements for the new Syrian administration is the removal of foreign fighters from high governmental positions, in exchange for Washington easing some of the sanctions imposed on Syria and paving the way for a potential thaw in relations.
Syrian transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that he seeks to alleviate concerns regarding Syria becoming a “haven for extremists” with the presence of foreign fighters among the ranks of the army, pledging to prevent the use of Syrian territory to threaten any foreign country.
Syria responded to Washington’s list of conditions, stating that Syrian officials discussed the issue of foreign fighters with former US envoy Daniel Rubinstein, but the matter “requires a broader consultative session,” and what can be confirmed so far is that the issuance of military ranks has been suspended following the earlier announcement regarding the promotion of six individuals.
Future prospects for French fighters in Syria Enab Baladi.
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