Syria’s new leadership appointed a foreign minister, as reported today by the official Syrian news agency SANA, as part of their efforts to develop international relations two weeks after ousting Bashar al-Assad.

The ruling General Administration named Asaad Hassan al-Sibani as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, according to SANA. A source within the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the expectations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that promote peace and stability.”

The New Foreign Minister and His Connection to al-Jolani

Sibani, a 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University, was previously the head of the political department of a rebel government in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, under Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, as stated by the General Administration.

تعلن القيادة العامة تكليف السيد أسعد حسن الشيباني بحقيبة وزارة الخارجية في الحكومة السورية الجديدة pic.twitter.com/YJuervvlFd

— Qasem (@Qasemqt) December 21, 2024

As shown in the photograph of the new foreign minister, released by the new Syrian government following his appointment, he is dressed in civilian attire. This echoes the approach of al-Jolani himself and demonstrates that Syria’s new leadership is striving to shed its association with jihadism and project a more Western-friendly image.

The New De Facto Leader of Syria and His Diplomatic Engagements

The new de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sara, has been actively engaging with foreign delegations since taking power, including hosting the UN envoy to Syria and high-ranking U.S. diplomats.

Sara has expressed a willingness to engage diplomatically with foreign envoys, stating that his primary focus is reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has made it clear that he has no interest in being involved in new conflicts.

Conclusion

The United States, other Western powers, and many Syrians welcomed the sight of rebel organizations under Ahmed al-Sara’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousting Assad. However, it remains unclear whether the Islamist organization will impose strict Islamic rules or show flexibility and move toward democracy. HTS was part of al-Qaeda until Sara severed ties with it in 2016.

Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on December 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending the decades-long rule of his family over the country.

The forces under Sara’s leadership—better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—established a three-month interim government, which had governed the rebel-held enclave in Idlib.

Washington had labeled Sara a terrorist in 2013, claiming that al-Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad and establishing Islamic law in Syria. However, U.S. officials stated on Friday that Washington would withdraw the $10 million bounty on his head.

The war resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, one of the largest refugee crises in modern history, and turned cities into ruins, while the economy collapsed under the weight of sanctions.