On January 29, Syria’s new leadership, headed by Ahmad al Sharaa—formerly known as Abu Mohammad al Jolani, the emir of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and previously the leader of Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al Nusrah—hosted a “Victory Conference” to outline the country’s future.
In a sweeping restructuring of the state, all military factions, as well as political and civil revolutionary bodies, were ordered to dissolve and integrate into newly formed state institutions. Additionally, former dictator Bashar al Assad’s Baath Party, the Syrian Army, the Syrian parliament, and various regime-linked institutions were dissolved.
Sharaa was formally declared Syria’s leader, assuming full presidential powers for the transition period, while also being tasked with forming a temporary legislative body. Sharaa has previously stated that drafting a new constitution will take three years, with elections expected to follow in the fourth year.
According to Al Arabiya, 18 armed factions agreed to dissolve and merge into a newly unified army. While the specific groups were not named, their identities can be inferred based on the conference’s attendees. Notably absent from this agreement were armed factions from Suwayda, the Southern Operations Room in Daraa, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Attendees Included:
- Amer al Sheikh — General commander of Ahrar al Sham and governor of Rif Dimashq
- Ahmad Issa Sheikh — Commander of the Suqor al Sham Brigade and governor of Idlib
- Azzam Gharib — General commander of the Sham Front and governor of Aleppo
- Fadlallah al Haji — General commander of the Sham Legion and chief of staff of the Syrian National Army
- Sayf Abu Bakr — Leader of the Turkish-backed Hamza Division (Hamzat)
- Mohammad Jasem (Abu Amsha) — Leader of the Turkish-backed Suleyman Shah Brigade (Al Amshat)
- Salem Turki al Antri — Commander of the US-backed Syrian Free Army
- Jamil al Saleh — Commander of Jaysh al Izza
- Abu Hatem Shaqra — Commander of Ahrar al Sharqiya
Sharaa gave a five-minute victory speech in which he emphasized resilience in the face of adversity. He also talked about the moral responsibility of victory, cautioned against arrogance after success, and stressed the need for stability, rebuilding, and governance based on justice and ethics, rather than revenge and power struggles. Sharaa called for unity, economic recovery, and international cooperation to restore Syria’s strength.
A translation of Sharaa’s speech follows:
A few months ago, Damascus appeared to me like a devoted mother, gazing at her children with a look of both reproach and desperation, lamenting her wounds, humiliation, and suffering—bleeding but bearing the pain with resilience, on the verge of collapse, crying out: ‘Save your nation! Save it before the disgrace of nations befalls you!’
Damascus, which bequeathed you the pride of the East and the prestige of glory—Sham, God’s chosen land. Syria, the land of civilization and history. Syria is the trust of ‘Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah and Khalid ibn al Walid.
Oh, Sham, how your cries of agony tormented us! What greater disgrace there is than for a criminal faction to rule over you and commit what they have done.
They destroyed her homes, displaced her people, tortured them in prisons of darkness, crushed them in iron presses, and burned their bodies in acid.
We called out to you with sincerity: ‘Stand, O Damascus! Rise and endure!’
We resolved, organized our ranks, prepared our forces, and set our target. We marched upon our enemy until we reached Damascus before she could fall.
By the grace of God, we broke the chains, freed the tormented, and wiped away the dust of humiliation from Damascus’s shoulders. The sun of Syria rose once more.
The people rejoiced, chanting “Allahu Akbar!” for it was the clear conquest and the great victory—the day when the rightful triumphed over falsehood, justice over oppression, and mercy over torture.
But, gentlemen, the defining features of war and military battles are usually destruction, devastation, and bloodshed. However, Syria’s victory was one of mercy, justice, and kindness.
Those who believe that war permits moral corruption are mistaken, for power, wealth, and weapons lead to widespread tyranny if not governed by values and ethics. The essence of struggle is a battle between righthood and falsehood, good and evil, justice and oppression.
Whenever the people of righthood lower themselves to the morals of their enemies, they lose—even if they win. If a man gives in to his own temptations, killing his own brother, he becomes one of the losers—even if he appears victorious.
The first moments of victory can be the first moments of defeat.
If arrogance consumes the victor, and he forgets the grace of God, he will be led to tyranny. Victory is not merely an achievement; it is a responsibility. The burden on the victorious is heavy, and their duty is immense.
The fallen regime has left deep wounds—social, economic, and political and other. Healing them requires a lot of wisdom, relentless effort, and tireless perseverance. Those who believe the time for struggle has passed and that comfort has arrived are deluded.
Syria today needs more than ever before. Just as we were determined to liberate her, we must now commit to rebuilding and developing her.
Syria is a trust in your hands. Syria holds intrinsic value—she elevates those who serve her and humbles those who fail her. Today, she is entrusted to you.
And Syria’s priorities today are, first, filling the power vacuum in a legitimate and lawful manner. Second, preserving civil peace by ensuring transitional justice and preventing acts of revenge. Third, rebuilding state institutions, especially the military, security, and police forces, as ensuring the safety of the people is the foremost priority. Fourth, reviving the economy by reconstructing human resources, agriculture, industry, and the service sector. Fifth, restoring Syria’s regional and international standing, establishing foreign relations based on brotherhood, respect, sovereignty, and shared interests.
Many have spoken of our nation’s glorious past, and people have grown weary of hearing, “We were, and we used to be.”
But with this great victory, we now have the right to connect the past with the present, to say with confidence, “We were, and we are!”
History itself bears witness—let it return to record new pages, to sing the melodies of triumph! Congratulations to us, to you, to all of Syria, to everyone who sympathized and stood by her side.
