Ahmed Al-Sharaa, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is the leader of the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham, the rebel group which seized power in Syria after toppling former President Bashar al-Assad in December last year, effectively ending the Syria Civil War.
(File)
Syria Civil War: The entire power balance and geopolitical equations in the Middle East turned upside down after rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group captured Damascus and toppled former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, effectively ending the decade old Syria civil war, in December last year.
Iran weakened, Russian, US influence waning
After the fall of Assad, Iran found itself weakened in Syria and departed from the country, while the presence of United States and Russia has also reduced considerably, with their influence waning since the HTS-led rebels seized power in Damascus. According to reports, the Syria’s relations with Iran have deteriorated under the rebel regime, while Russia is engaged in negotiations with the new government to maintain its bases in Syria, even as the US has announced to completely withdraw its forces from the war-torn nation.
While Iran, US, and Russia are seemingly out of the picture in Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and France are emerging as new players, rapidly expanding their influence in the region.
Al-Sharaa meets MbS, Erdogan
Notably, Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, had strong ties with Shia Iran, but following his ouster, Syria is increasingly gravitating towards Sunni powers, with HTS chief and Syrian Interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa embarking on his first foreign visit recently and meeting Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has pledged to help Syria in every possible manner in order to assist the war-torn country to help stand on its feet again. Riyadh has also sent team of 50 doctors and medical assistance to Damascus.
After his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince, Al-Sharaa headed straight to Turkey, where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a close ally of the HTS group, sending a clear message to the powers in the Middle East and the West. Turkey is believed to played a major role in the plan to topple Bashar al-Assad, and reportedly provided military and financial assistance to the Ahmed Al-Sharaa-led Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham, who ultimately captured Damascus in early December
Ankara, a member of US-led NATO military alliance, controls large swathes of land in northern Syria after several cross-border incursions against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has strongly supported anti-Assad rebel opposition groups since the Syria civil war broke out in 2011.
France emerging as new stakeholder in Syria
Meanwhile, France is emerging as a new player in Syria with French President Emmanuel Macron speaking to Ahmed Al-Sharaa over the phone on Wednesday.
During the call, Macron congratulated Al-Sharaa on his new position as Syria’s Interim President and stressed on the need to advance the fight against terrorism. The French President has also invited his Syrian counterpart to France.
This conversation between the two leaders comes at a time when Syria has signed a contract with French shipping and logistics group, CMA CGM, to operate the container terminal of Latakia port.
Who is Ahmed Al-Sharaa?
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is the leader of the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham, the rebel group which seized power in Syria after toppling former President Bashar al-Assad in December last year, effectively ending the Syria Civil War.
While the origins, including the real name of Ahmed al-Sharaa, are shrouded in mystery, its believed that he in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where his father used to work, but was brought up in Syrian capital Damascus.
Other reports claim that al-Julani was born in Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria and reportedly studied medicine before joining an Islamist extremist outfit.
According to the UN and European Union, he was born between 1975 and 1979. Interpol believes he was born in 1979, whereas a report by As-Safir mentions his birth date as 1981. Nonetheless, while, al-Julani’s origins remain shrouded in mystery, one thing is clear, he was one of the masterminds behind rebel insurgency against the Assad regime in Syria.