Syria Seven Months After Assad's Fall: A Journey Through Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, and Beyond

Post-Assad Syria: A Nation in Transition

• 🌍 Seven months after Bashar al-Assad's ouster, Syria is navigating a new era, marked by significant destruction but also signs of reconstruction and return.
• ✈️ FRANCE 24's Wassim Nasr traveled across the country, visiting major cities and previously inaccessible areas to document the changes and ongoing challenges.

Aleppo: Reconstruction Amidst Division

• 🏘️ Aleppo, a multicultural city heavily damaged by war, shows inhabitants returning to deserted villages and efforts to rebuild amidst rubble.
• 🤝 The new authorities are focusing on protecting minority communities, though friction exists within the Sunni majority between those who supported and opposed the former regime.
• 🚧 Kurdish factions, the YPG, still control specific neighborhoods, maintaining their own rules despite common checkpoints.

Manbij: Fortifications and a Security Vacuum

• 🚧 The city of Manbij, east of Aleppo, exhibits extensive fortifications, including tunnels dug by the YPG, indicating a history of intense conflict.
• 🏚️ After rebel factions entered the city following the regime's fall, a security vacuum persisted for four months, leading to looting.
• 🏥 The military hospital in Manbij, formerly a stronghold for ISIS and then the YPG, reveals hidden tunnels, some accessible only after locals revealed their locations.

Homs and Damascus: Lingering Tensions and Attacks

• ⚠️ Homs faces ongoing issues, including the kidnapping of Alawite women and daily assassinations, with authorities attempting to address past atrocities like the Hula massacre.
• ⛪ A suicide bombing at the Church of Mar Elias in Damascus highlighted the volatile security situation and sectarian tensions, occurring shortly after the regime's fall.

Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor: Resource Hubs and Devastation

• 🏜️ The desert area around Palmyra, rich in phosphate mines, remains dangerous with remnants of conflict, including burnt vehicles and tanks, despite the presence of UN employees assessing the archaeological site.
• 🌉 Deir ez-Zor is ravaged, with over 90% destruction, yet inhabitants are returning and attempting to rebuild, facing immense costs and limited infrastructure.
• 🚢 The Euphrates River area in Deir ez-Zor, despite witnessing intense fighting, shows signs of life returning with open cafes and music, symbolizing resilience amidst poverty and security concerns.
• 🤝 Iraqi trucks carrying aid to Damascus and other Syrian areas indicate external support for the new government's efforts to stabilize the country.