France has called on rebel leaders in Syria to ensure “unity” in the country following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, ending five decades of Baath party rule.
Islamist-led rebels announced "the liberation of the city of Damascus and the fall of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad" on state television on Sunday, after advancing on the capital in the early hours of the morning.
Rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani said in a statement there was no room for turning back and the group was determined to continue the path they started in 2011 during the Arab Spring – a movement against authoritarian rule that began in Tunisia and spread across much of the Arab world.
"The future is ours," the statement said.
President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly fled the country. Russia, a Syria ally, claims he left after giving instructions to transfer power "peacefully". His whereabouts remain unknown for the moment.
"On this historic day for Syria and the Syrian people, France welcomes the fall of Bachar al-Assad's regime after more than 13 years of very violent repression against its own people," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.
"Now is the time for unity in Syria," it read, calling for an end to fighting and a peaceful political transition in the country.
President Emmanuel Macron said he welcomed the fall of Bashar al-Assad's "barbaric" state.
"The barbaric state has fallen. At last," Macron wrote on X. "I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity."
He added that France remained committed to the security of all in the Middle East.
Rebels declare end of Assad rule in Syria
Risk of new wave of instability
Crowds gathered in Damascus on Sunday to celebrate the fall of Assad’s government with chants, prayers and the occasional gunfire. Thousands of prisoners, released from jail, reportedly wandered the streets in disbelief at their new-found freedom.
It was the first time opposition forces had reached Damascus since 2018 when Syrian troops recaptured areas on the outskirts of the capital following a siege lasting several years.
On Saturday, opposition forces took the central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as government forces abandoned it.
The rapidly developing events have stunned Arab capitals, raising concerns about a new wave of instability in a region already in turmoil following the spread of conflict after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus.
Jordan has also closed a border crossing with Syria.
(with newswires)
