On January 27, the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and its allies announced in an official statement that they had rejected the ceasefire agreement in Eastern Ghouta that was reached during the Vienna talks on January 26. In its statement, Ahara al-Sham also revealed that it was not a part of the agreement in the first place and stressed that it will never accept to be part of any negotiations with the Damascus government what so ever.
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Meanwhile, spokesman for the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) group Faylaq al-Rahman Wael Alwan told the Syrian pro-opposition news outlet Enab Baladi that the group is in contact with the Syrian opposition delegation in Vienna. However, Alwan stressed that Faylaq al-Rahman has not yet accepted the ceasefire agreement.
From its side, Yasser Delwan the head of the political office of Jaysh al-Islam also stressed that the group will not accept the new ceasefire agreement unless the Damascus government and Russia allow humanitarian aid to enter its areas in Eastern Ghouta.
The district of Harasta in the northern part of Eastern Ghouta witnessed clashes and exchange of shelling between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Ahrar al-Sham Movement on January 27. So, the new ceasefire agreement likely failed before it even had a chance to be implemented. However, Syrian opposition sources suggested that Harasta might not be part of the agreement.
While most opposition militants in Eastern Ghouta appear to be willing to accept the new ceasefire soon, the position of Ahrar al-Sham Movement poses a real threat to the entire effort. This situation also shows that the Syrian opposition delegation in Vienna has limited influence on “opposition fighters” on the ground.
