Contacts Between FPM, Lebanese Forces to Protect ‘Maarab Understanding’

LF chief Samir Geagea welcomes then MP Michel Aoun to his headquarters in Maarab, northeast of Beirut, on January 18, 2016. (AFP)
LF chief Samir Geagea welcomes then MP Michel Aoun to his headquarters in Maarab, northeast of Beirut, on January 18, 2016. (AFP)
TT
20

Contacts Between FPM, Lebanese Forces to Protect ‘Maarab Understanding’

LF chief Samir Geagea welcomes then MP Michel Aoun to his headquarters in Maarab, northeast of Beirut, on January 18, 2016. (AFP)
LF chief Samir Geagea welcomes then MP Michel Aoun to his headquarters in Maarab, northeast of Beirut, on January 18, 2016. (AFP)

Contacts and meetings resumed between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese Forces (LF) party in an attempt to revive already tense relations between the two largest Christian forces in Lebanon.

Ties became strained after the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri in November, a position backed by the LF.

Information Minister Melhem Riachi, of the LF, and MP Ibrahim Kanaan, of the FPM, are tasked with the mission of repairing relations between the two sides.

The two officials were the sponsors of the Maarab understanding reached in 2016 to end nearly 30 years of disputes between the two Christian parties. The agreement led the LF to announce its backing of Michel Aoun for the country’s presidency. He was elected later that year.

An FPM official and former minister Mario Aoun told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that relations between both parties is not measured by the presence of some simple disputes, but by their agreement on essential issues.

“The FPM and LF relationship is bound by essential understandings that could not be overlooked,” he said.

The FMP position is shared by the LF.

“There are differences over some positions, but we already agreed to accept each other’s differences,” LF MP Joseph Maalouf told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The disputed files between both sides are countless, and include disagreements over issues related to the oil and electricity sectors, in addition to the issue of appointments in public institutions.

Despite revitalized relations, it does not appear that they would be sufficient for both parties to strike alliances for the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May.

“The current agreements between the FPM and LF do not mean their translation into electoral alliances,” Aoun said.

He said that the new electoral law is capable of testing the electoral capacities of each party.



Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
TT
20

Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 

The Syrian government is stepping up its security operations in Druze-majority towns in southern Syria, aiming to stabilize volatile areas in both rural Suwayda and the Damascus suburbs following recent sectarian unrest. Despite a newly brokered ceasefire, community leaders report that tensions remain in the districts of Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

Government forces continue to expand their presence in Al-Surah, a town in northern Suwayda, in an effort to push back armed groups operating outside state control. The campaign comes amid fears of renewed violence, particularly after clashes earlier this week that were sparked by the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring a Druze cleric making offensive comments about Islam.

The recording ignited two days of violent confrontations, starting in Jaramana on Tuesday and spreading to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, resulting in multiple casualties.

On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting in Damascus brought together the governors of Suwayda, Rural Damascus, and Quneitra, alongside prominent Druze clerics and community leaders. According to Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesperson for the “Men of Dignity” movement led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar, the meeting led to a ceasefire agreement and a plan to regulate arms in the region. Under the agreement, only personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior will be authorized to carry weapons.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal also authorizes General Security forces to enter Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and assume control, with assurances that civilians would be protected from attacks by any group. A joint oversight committee was established to monitor compliance with the agreement’s terms.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Suwayda Governorate confirmed the preliminary ceasefire and emphasized the importance of a cooperative approach to halt bloodshed and restore calm. Security officials also declared the conclusion of a military operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, with security chief Hossam Al-Tahan reporting that government forces had entered all neighborhoods and begun efforts to restore order.

Despite these moves, local residents report that tensions are far from resolved. In Jaramana, civil society representative Rabih Munzer described the atmosphere as “tense” and said that checkpoints at the city’s entrances are now manned by local General Security forces. He noted that the recent agreement has yet to be enacted, and a previous deal signed in March remains unimplemented.

Responding to calls from Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Syria, Munzer stated: “We are responsible for our own words—not the words of others.” He also warned of continued provocations by armed groups surrounding the city, including sniper fire and sporadic gunshots targeting civilians.

Further south in Al-Surah, security deployments continue under the supervision of the Suwayda Governor and the commander of the Syrian Army’s 40th Division. State-run media released images of security forces in the area, including photos of the governor overseeing the operation to pave the way for displaced residents to return safely.

However, Abu Fakhr warned that several villages—Kanaker, Ara, Sass, Al-Surah, and Dama—remain under threat from what he described as jihadist groups.