A seminar organised in the framework of the

The Middle East Directions Programme

With Dr. Agnès Favier (RSCAS Visiting Fellow)

Wednesday 22 March

16.00-18.00

Sala Belvedere, Villa Schifanoia

Local truces, promoted by several diplomatic actors and analysts in 2014 while diplomatic talks for a global conflict resolution were in a stalemate, have proved to be a tactical tool of the Syrian regime to re-conquer strategic zones for its survival. Since 2015, local truces have also been one of the instruments used in Russian diplomacy. They have been promoted as a way to stabilise and pacify Syria.

The seminar addresses the dynamics of local negotiations between the Syrian regime and opposition representatives. It will discuss the implementation of local agreements and their impact on security dynamics and governance frameworks at the local level, with a focus on localities across Rural Damascus area where local deals have occurred.