The Homs Ceasefire Is a Symbolic Blow to Syria's Rebels: City Was the Heart and Symbol of the Syrian Revolution — Now Rebels Are Abandoning It

Buildings in Homs burn after explosions. (Screen capture from You
Tube video)

By John Beck
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will retake Homs, known as “the capital of the revolution,” under terms of a ceasefire agreement reached by the country’s government and rebel groups today, according to local activists.

Both sides agreed on a 48-hour break in the fighting in Syria's third largest city, allowing hundreds of rebels to flee to opposition held areas north of the city, activists told AP. Anti-government forces in Homs have been making an increasingly desperate last stand in the city's old town as Syrian army troops surrounded their positions.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which uses a network of activists to monitors the conflict, also reported news of the agreement, which it said would be implemented today.

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If Assad’s forces do retake Homs, it will be a huge blow to opposition groups. The city was the scene of some of the earliest and largest anti-government protests in 2011, when the Syrian uprising began. It was the first city to fall to rebel fighters when Assad’s opponents took up arms in response to brutal repression and violence against protesters. Leaving it would likely be a last resort.

“Based on the reports that have emerged, [the deal] would amount to a face-saving compromise for rebel forces,” Noah Bonsey Senior Analyst, Syria with International Crisis Group told VICE News. “But it's a significant symbolic blow given Homs' reputation as the 'capital of the revolution,' particularly during the first year of the uprising.”

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