Doha – The French Ambassador to Syria, Brigitte Curmi, has called upon the Syrian regime to make significant concessions to settle the ongoing Syrian crisis, which has been raging for almost 13 years. She considers a political solution as the sole path to resolving the conflict, explicitly ruling out offering “free gifts to the Damascus government, which lacks the sincere will to resolve the conflict.”
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Curmi stated that the stubbornness of the Syrian regime has led to a deadlock in all normalization attempts carried out last year. This includes efforts to reintegrate Damascus into the Arab League, attempts at rapprochement with Ankara, and discussions between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime.
Curmi, the non-resident French ambassador to Syria, clarified that Paris’s stance towards Damascus remains unchanged. She emphasized that there would be no normalization, lifting of sanctions, nor reconstruction without a comprehensive and credible political process, meaning the Syrian regime must offer substantial concessions.
She affirmed that the situation on the ground clearly indicates the conflict cannot be settled militarily and that only a political solution will achieve lasting peace in Syria.
Furthermore, she added that Syria is suffering from the repercussions of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, escalating the risk of the conflict spreading to it. She warned that opening a new front with Israel in Syria would further destabilize the country.
Here is the text of the interview:
- After years of war in Syria, do you think the chance of achieving real change has become difficult? Why?
Thirteen years into the Syrian conflict, with the front lines being relatively calm since 2020, we are now facing an impossible choice between moving forward with normalization without any initial concessions or accepting the status quo. Neither option represents an acceptable solution.
The regime’s intransigence in 2023 led all normalization attempts to a dead end, whether through the re-engagement of Syria in the Arab League last May or through the rapprochement attempted between Ankara and Damascus, or in discussions between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime.
These attempts have repeatedly failed due to the lack of willingness by the regime to compromise, reinforcing our conviction that there is no point in offering gifts before it makes any valuable concession.
The current status is also unsustainable, as Syria has recently witnessed its worst military escalation in four years, with intensifying tension and violence throughout the country. Additionally, the humanitarian situation is dire and the living conditions of Syrians continue to deteriorate.
Leaving the situation as it is will lead to heightened instability, not only in Syria but also across the entire region. The current crisis in Gaza shows how “frozen” crises can explode at any time if the root causes of the conflict are not addressed.
We must work together to find a third way, as the situation on the ground and the balance of power among the different parties clearly demonstrate that this conflict cannot be resolved militarily. Only a political solution will lead to lasting peace in Syria and allow Syrians to live in safety and dignity.
It is vital for the international community not to overlook the ongoing conflict in Syria on the pretense that it is “frozen,” because it is not. The war continues, as seen from the military escalation, and limiting our work to managing crises in Syria could lead to the intensification of the conflict in the future.
- Do you believe that Damascus is open to political solutions?
The situation on the ground continues to reveal the same truth we’ve known for over a decade: a political solution is the only path to lasting peace and stability in Syria and the region.
We know that the regime has made no move on this issue and has never participated in the political process in good faith. However, the ongoing division in the country and the continuous protests in the Sweida and the growing discontent among the Alawite population remind us that Damascus’s position is unsustainable and will only lead to more instability.
Again, the regime showed its stubbornness in the context of re-engaging Syria in the Arab League. Damascus did not make any concessions to its Arab counterparts. Instead, there has been an increase in captagon smuggling with complicity from the regime and its army, turning the country into a narcostate.
The conditions for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of 6 million Syrian refugees and 6 million internally displaced persons have not been met due to the regime’s unwillingness to offer guarantees for the protection of returnees.
We need to continue working toward a political solution to the conflict, as it is the only way to push the regime to change its behavior. We remain dedicated to continuing our dialogue with the Arab Contact Group in this direction.
- How do you view the situation of human rights in Syria? Are there statistics on the numbers of displaced, detainees, and fatalities?
The conflict in Syria has been deadly and civilians have paid a high price, resulting in at least 500,000 deaths. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, last year alone saw nearly 4,360 deaths, including 1,889 civilians, indicating that the war is not over yet.
There have been grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reports that over 112,000 individuals have been detained since March 2011 and are still missing, including 3,105 children and 6,698 women. The United Nations has also documented violence committed against civilians.
In addition to human rights violations, the regime systematically uses torture and sexual violence against women, children, and men in prisons under its control. Numerous non-governmental organizations have documented violations in Syria since 2011, and have gathered relevant evidence and data.
The war in Syria has forced Syrians to flee their homes due to ongoing threats of abductions by the regime. Nearly 12 million Syrians – half of the country’s population – were forced to leave their original residences due to the conflict, with half seeking refuge outside Syria, especially in neighboring countries.
The other six million have been internally displaced, often multiple times. The regime has seized the opportunity of their departure to implement a system allowing it to take over their land and properties, thereby obstructing their right to return to their homes.
After this extended period of conflict, there remains a significant gap between the mass atrocities committed in Syria and accountability for those crimes. France has long been committed to combating impunity and is determined to explore all avenues to ensure accountability for these crimes.
We strongly support the work of the inquiry commission and the independent and impartial international mechanism, as well as the recent establishment of the Independent Commission on Missing Persons in Syria, which was founded in June 2023 to investigate the fate of the missing in Syria and provide appropriate support to victims, survivors, and families of the missing.
- You mentioned during your participation in the Doha Forum that alternatives to the Assad regime are available and that you can help find them. What’s your explanation for that? Does France have a dialogue channel with the Syrian opposition?
It is certain that the future of Syria cannot be built without the Syrians. For this reason, France supports the Syrian opposition, with whom we maintain a continuous dialogue. In October, I met in Paris with a delegation from the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces led by its new president, Hadi al-Bahra.
We support all Syrians who have fought to live with dignity. Their struggles have taken various forms, whether it’s through protest movements, like the recent demonstrations in Sweida and Deraa, or by creating new forums to unite Syrian forces wherever they may be.
All these initiatives show that Syrians have not abandoned their demand to live in peace and dignity, and France stands with them in this pursuit.
All Syrians – whether still living in Syria or those who have been forced to leave – possess the necessary means to rebuild a free Syria where dignity and peace prevail, as long as a political solution provides them the space to do so. We must support all these driving forces that represent the real hope for Syria’s future.
- French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed last August that he opposed reintegrating Syria into the international community before efforts are made to combat terrorist groups and repatriate Syrian refugees to their country. Does this conflict with the approach of discussing alternatives to Assad?
France’s position towards Syria is unchanged and aligns with the European Union’s stance, which is unequivocal: no normalization, lifting of sanctions, or reconstruction without a comprehensive and credible political process. This requires the Syrian regime to make significant and verified concessions.
Paris’s efforts are based on several pillars and priorities, including strengthening a political solution to the conflict by supporting the United Nations’ efforts, combating impunity, and along with its partners in the international coalition, continuing to fight against ISIS.
Paris supports Syrian civilians, whether inside or outside Syria. Our humanitarian aid commitment to Syria remains one of our largest budgets. We believe that helping the Syrian people today is helping Syria tomorrow, pushing us to support initiatives from the Syrian civil society, whether inside the country, in host nations, or in the diaspora.
- Does the war in Gaza have repercussions on the Syrian crisis? What is the possibility of the conflict expanding?
It’s obvious that both regional and international contexts have direct and indirect repercussions on Syria. Syria today suffers from the fallout of the conflict in Gaza, escalating the danger of the conflict reaching Syria. Opening a new front with Israel in Syria would further destabilize the country, with the Syrian people being the first victims.
The increasing number of crises around the world threatens to deepen the existing international fatigue regarding Syria. However, it’s extremely important that international donors continue to provide necessary funding to address the humanitarian situation throughout Syria.
In recent months, international attention has shifted towards the crisis in Gaza, but we must not lose sight of the situation in Syria. Now, more than ever, it’s important to stay vigilant about the Syrian crisis to achieve a political resolution to the conflict.
Indeed, the events of last October 7th and the subsequent war prove again that conflicts considered “frozen” are ticking time bombs and permanent threats unless their root causes are addressed.
