‘A Syria for all Syrians, the beginning of a new chapter’: Al-Sharaa declares complete break from Assad’s legacypublished at 16:19 GMT
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Damascus
In his speech marking the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, again, vowed to build a Syria for all Syrians, saying the country had broken away from its past of repression and violence.
The old regime – Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled for more than five decades – had “sowed discord, spread doubt and erected walls” between the authorities and the people, Sharaa said, and that “words had become a crime”.
“We declare a complete break from that legacy, an end to that era, and the beginning of a new chapter – the chapter of building the nation,” he added in the address televised to the nation. Their victory, he said, was only the start.
Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad, and became the country’s leader. Since coming to power, he has tried to consolidate his position as a statesman, and has gained considerable international support.
Last month, he met with US President Donald Trump at the White House and secured the lifting of sanctions on the country. Earlier this year, he became the first Syrian representative to address the United Nations General Assembly.
Syria, however, remains extremely poor, with families struggling amid an economy in crisis. It is also deeply divided. Sharaa does not have control over the entire country, and minorities still mistrust the authorities, with forces loyal to the government being involved in sectarian killings in the past year.
Media caption,
BBC joins crowds at joyous Damascus celebrations
