The fate of the armed opposition factions in light of the international shifts
The Syrian armed opposition factions are constantly affected by the political changes related to the Syrian file, similar to what happened in July 2018, when the factions of the Southern Front disintegrated; as a result of the agreement struck by Russia, the United States, Israel and Jordan on a settlement in the region .
During the past two years, many major international developments took place, most notably the recent activities by many regional countries to restore or improve their relations with the Syrian regime, which raised questions about the possible fate of the armed opposition factions deployed in northwestern and southeastern Syria .
This report reviews the most important international changes that occurred during the past years and affected - and still are- the fate of the armed opposition factions. It then lays out scenarios for their future in the short and medium terms, namely: the continuation of the factional conflicts, the expansion of the role, tasks and influence of the factions, and finally the restructuring and grouping of the factions .
This report helps actors, stakeholders, and decision-makers have better understanding on the impact of international changes on the reality and fate of the armed opposition factions. It does not aim at assessing the current activity and structure of these factions, or evaluating the security and military situation and its impact on the reality of the factions .