First Syrian tribes’ concourse in Egypt kicks off Tuesday

CAIRO – 19 September 2017: Syrian al-Ghad Movement, chaired by Ahmed al-Jarba inaugurates in Cairo the first Egyptian-sponsored concourse of the Syrian tribes and political parties. It is scheduled to last for two days.

A member of the Secretariat of the Syrian Future Movement, Bahia Mardini explained that Syria is characterized by its tribal diversity, whose worth and influence is defined based on a number of factors, including its historical environment and social traditions, besides the de facto status quo.

On July 23, the first Egypt-brokered ceasefire was announced in the Ghouta region in Damascus, while the second de-escalation deal was announced in an area in northern Homs countryside on August 3.

The Syrian current deteriorating situations have had its toll on the social, economic and political fabric of these tribes, which are integral parts of the Syrian nation.

Syria's Al-Ghad opposition movement was founded in March 2016 by Syrian National Council member, Ahmed Jarba. Recently, the movement signed a ceasefire agreement in eastern Ghouta with the Syrian regime.

The Syrian political situation has been deteriorating since the protests emerged with the Arab Spring revolutions in 2011, when the opposition created the “Free Syrian Army” to face Assad’s forces. The situation worsened when the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group began interfering in the country in 2014.

About 470,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the war as of February 2016, according to latest data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Some 1.6 million Syrians have been domestically displaced, while the number of refugees has reached 4.8 million people, the data added.