Top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani addresses a crowd at Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, following the Syrian rebels' announcement of President Bashar al-Assad's ousting. Photo: Reuters
Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, met with outgoing Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali to discuss the "transfer of power" on Monday, a day after toppling President Bashar al-Assad. According to a statement posted on the rebels' Telegram channels, the meeting aimed to coordinate a power transfer that ensures the provision of services to Syria's people. A short video of the meeting showed it was also attended by Mohammed Bashir, who heads the rebels' "Salvation Government" in their northwest Syria stronghold.
Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had been administering large parts of Idlib province and neighboring areas until November 27, when it, along with allied factions, launched a swift offensive, capturing government-held territory and Damascus on Sunday. Bashir's name has been widely mentioned as the most likely candidate for prime minister in the transitional post-Assad administration.
In the video, Jolani told the outgoing prime minister that despite "Idlib being a small region with limited resources", the authorities there "have gained a high level of experience, starting from scratch". Jalali expressed his readiness to "cooperate" with any leadership chosen by the people and for any handover process. The Salvation Government, established in 2017, includes ministries, departments, judicial, and security authorities, and was set up to assist people cut off from government services in the stronghold. Authorities from the area have already begun restoring services such as water, communications, and power to Syria's second city, Aleppo, after the rebels seized it in their rapid offensive.
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