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Displacement Tactics in Syria: A Strategy for Regime Control
The displacement of individuals, aimed at depopulating certain regions, emerged as a significant strategy employed by the Syrian regime to reassert dominance over suburban Damascus amid ongoing conflict, according to a recent study.
This comprehensive research is featured in the journal Middle East Critique. The findings reveal that families encountered blockade tactics, aerial strikes, and weaponry known for resulting in numerous civilian casualties, which included chemical agents, as well as unconventional munitions such as ‘earthquake’ and ‘vacuum’ bombs.
Damascus has historically been a bastion of regime power while also being a pivotal battleground for opposition forces, who managed to capture areas close to central regime institutions. The shift toward systematic displacement became apparent as the government lost significant territorial control and sought to re-establish its authority alongside military advancements.
This strategy involved the systematic removal or depopulation of communities identified as hostile. Individuals’ perceived culpability was often judged solely by their geographical location, resulting in indiscriminate punitive actions.
From 2017 onwards, forced relocations through siege tactics became widespread, causing immense suffering among civilians. The regime’s tight grip on Damascus included restrictions that prevented non-governmental organizations from operating within the city, resulting in a lack of detailed information about these actions at the time.
Dr. Samer Bakkour from the University of Exeter conducted a thorough analysis of reports from the UN and NGOs, alongside interviews with displaced residents who had lived in and around Damascus. Many of these individuals had been involved in anti-regime activities, some with ties to armed opposition groups.
According to Dr. Bakkour, “The regime’s methodology was notably crude and disproportionate, focusing more on driving wedges between the civilian populace and rebels than on psychological engagement with non-combatants. The intensified displacement agenda aimed at drastically altering the demographic and social landscape of targeted areas through relocation agreements.”
The Syrian civil war ignited in the wake of attempts to suppress public protests during the Arab Spring in 2011, leading to the formation of various armed groups and an organized opposition incorporating both secular and jihadist factions. This opposition splintered into multiple groups with conflicting interests as international influence, particularly from Russia and Iran, became increasingly significant from 2015 onwards.
The regime actively thwarted civil protests from reaching the urban core of Damascus. Throughout the conflict, civilians were forcibly removed from high-conflict neighborhoods such as Al-Tadamon, Al-Qaboun, Barzeh, Jobar, and Al-Yarmouk, relocating to perceived safer regions like Jaramana, Qudssaya, and Al-Mazzeh while being barred by regime forces from entering predominantly Alawite districts.
In Yarmouk Camp, an early epicenter of dissent, the regime employed brutal violence to assert control after taking the camp in December 2012, compelling residents to publicly display their political loyalties. As the siege grew tighter, only non-combatants managed to escape, since armed fighters were deterred by fears of arrest or death if they attempted to depart.
The take-over of Al-Hajar Al-Aswad by ISIS prompted significant population shifts towards adjacent towns and regions. Regime and affiliated militia forces imposed sieges, cutting off essential services like electricity and water supply. Areas endured relentless bombing to stifle any opposition movements towards the city, employing chemical weapons, cluster munitions, and other devastating explosives. Staying in these areas was perceived as a confirmation of guilt among residents.
Subsequent ceasefire agreements in 2017 and 2018 resulted in the forced relocation of entire populations from rural areas, further complicating the demographic landscape of the region.
More information: Samer Bakkour, Emergence, Development, and Impact of Population Displacement in Damascus During Syria’s Civil War, Middle East Critique (2024). DOI: 10.1080/19436149.2024.2347147
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phys.org