The reason of the talks between Damascus government and the Druze with US mediation

Washington is leading a mediation between a Druze religious authority and Damascus authorities to exchange detainees since the bloody violence in Syria’s southern province of Sweida, according to a Druze source familiar with the negotiations.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “There are currently negotiations under US mediation between Sheikh Hikmat al Hijri and the Damascus government on a single issue, which is the detainees and prisoners”.

Sweida province, a stronghold of the Druze minority, witnessed clashes between Druze militants and Bedouin fighters for a week starting July 13th, before turning into bloody confrontations after government forces intervened and then tribal gunmen alongside the Bedouins.

According to the same source, the mediation aims to secure the release of 61 civilians from Suwayda who have been detained in Adra prison, near Damascus since the July events, in exchange for the release of 30 members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior of the National Guard working under the command of al Hijri.

According to the UK based, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 2,000 people have been killed, including 789 Druze civilians.

The violence was punctuated by violations and summary executions of the Druze minority, according to the testimonies of survivors and human rights organizations.

A ceasefire was reached starting July 20th, but the situation remained tense and access to Sweida was difficult. Residents accuse the government of imposing a siege on the province, where tens of thousands of residents remain displaced, which Damascus denies; Several aid convoys have since entered.

Last August, dozens of smaller factions joined the National Guard group to unify military efforts under the umbrella of Hijri, the Druze authority that is the most extreme in its stance on Damascus authority.

It was joined by a section of the fighters of the “Men of Dignity”, one of the most prominent military factions in Sweida.

Since then, al Hijri has demanded a separate territory to protect the Druze, and has formed de facto authorities under the control of forces in the city of Sweida and towns around it, which remain outside the control of government forces.

During the violence, Israel carried out strikes near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the General Staff in Damascus, and it has repeatedly pledged to protect the Druze minority.