Germany and France Commit to Collaborating with Syrian Rebels Under the Framework of Fundamental Human Rights

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to collaborate with Syrian opposition groups that recently assumed control in Damascus. The cooperation, according to a statement from Berlin on Monday, will be guided by “fundamental human rights and the protection of ethnic and religious minorities.”

This decision followed a phone conversation between the French and German leaders on Monday. It comes in the wake of a major turning point in Syria’s history, as rebel forces toppled longtime dictator Bashar Assad on Sunday. This marked the end of a brutal 13-year civil war that claimed the lives of over half a million people.

Western governments are now grappling with how to approach the new leadership in Syria, led primarily by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Both the U.S. and the U.K. have labeled HTS as a terrorist organization due to its past affiliations with al Qaeda. However, HTS has sought to shed that image, with its leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani severing ties with al Qaeda in 2016 and attempting to present the group as more moderate in recent years.

The move by Scholz and Macron signals a cautious but significant shift in how Western powers may engage with Syria’s new political reality.