Damascus [Syria], January 30 : Syria has entered a transitional phase with its de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, appointed as President, Al Jazeera reported, citing the state-run news agency SANA.
Al-Sharaa has been given the authority to establish a temporary legislative body that will function until a new constitution is implemented.
The announcement was made by Hassan Abdel Ghani, the spokesperson for the newly established military operations sector of Syria's interim government.
"We announce the appointment of Commander Ahmad al-Sharaa as head of state during the transitional period. He will assume the duties of the president of the Syrian Arab Republic and represent the country in international forums," Ghani had said in a statement on Wednesday, CNN reported.
He added, "The president is authorised to form a temporary legislative council for the transitional phase, which will carry out its duties until a permanent constitution is enacted and put into effect."
Ghani also declared the dissolution of all armed factions within the country, stating they would be integrated into state institutions.
"All military factions are dissolved ... and integrated into state institutions," the state news agency quoted Abdel Ghani as saying. He also announced "the dissolution of the defunct regime's army" and security agencies, as well as the Baath party, which ruled Syria for decades, Al Jazeera reported.
Al-Sharaa has committed to overseeing a political transition that includes organising a national conference, forming an inclusive government, and eventually holding electionsa process he estimated could take up to four years.
He has also proposed the establishment of a unified national military and security apparatus.
Al-Sharaa became a Syrian "foreign fighter" in his early 20s, crossing into Iraq to fight the Americans when they invaded the country in the spring of 2003. That eventually landed him in the notorious US-run Iraqi prison, Camp Bucca. Freed from Camp Bucca, he crossed back into Syria and started fighting against the Assad regime, according to CNN.
Earlier on November 27, 2024, Syria's armed opposition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib.
By December 7, President Bashar Assad's opponents had seized several major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, forcing the army to withdraw from the capital subsequently Assad resigned and left the country.
It led to the end of more than 50 years of the al-Assad family's iron-fist rule over Syria.
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