Syrian Former President Assad Offered Asylum In Moscow

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have been offered asylum in Moscow as a swift and decisive rebel takeover of Damascus marks the end of his family’s five-decade rule. The collapse of the Assad regime comes after 13 years of civil war that has left Syria deeply fragmented and its people devastated.

Rebels Take Damascus

It is Sunday and Syrian rebels captured Damascus, flooding the streets with gunfire and revolutionary flags. This historic turning point for the Middle East is being hailed with one of the region’s most entrenched authoritarian regimes falling with it.

Assad left for Russia within hours of the rebels taking control. A Kremlin source confirmed that Assad’s asylum deal includes guarantees for the safety of Russian military bases in Syria.

Russia’s Role and UN Emergency Session

Russia has requested an extraordinary session of the United Nations Security Council to discuss fast-evolving developments in Syria. This was confirmed to CNN by Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s deputy ambassador at the UN, on his Telegram channel.

After years of regime support from Moscow, Syria’s longtime friend and ally, military intervention, and diplomatic support, Assad’s exile has signaled a shift in balance of power in the region and questions about Russia’s influence going forward.

Syria remains profoundly split along ethnic, religious, and geopolitical lines. The Sunni Muslim majority from which most rebels hail shares a country with Druze, Christian, and Kurdish communities many of whom fear the rise of Sunni Islamist extremism.

The country remains divided among different armed groups, but foreign powers, such as Russia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, and the United States, still compete for influence. Today, rebel leaders have an enormous task: to soothe a war-torn nation and rebuild governance frameworks.

Who Are The Rebel Forces?

The rebel forces mainly comprise Syria’s Sunni Muslim majority. Supported by countries such as Turkey, they have been opposed by US-allied Kurdish groups in the north and continue to fight remnants of the Islamic State in more remote areas.

In a televised statement, the rebels declared the overthrow of Assad, the freeing of all prisoners, and the imposition of a temporary curfew in Damascus. They appealed to citizens to safeguard the institutions of a “free Syrian state” as they chart the uncertain road toward stability.

The fall of Assad’s regime has raised fears of increased instability, with the potential for extremist groups to take advantage of the power vacuum. The international community is now closely watching the region as it faces one of its most significant transitions in decades.

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