Tom Barrack: “Roadmap” Is the Only Way to Resolve Suwayda Crisis

Welat TV – Erbil

U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said the roadmap agreed last year by Syria, the United States, and Jordan represents the only way to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Suwayda Governorate.

In a post on X on Saturday evening, September 5, 2026, Barrack said the roadmap provides a path for the “dignified reintegration” of the governorate into Syria while guaranteeing the full rights and obligations of the Druze community as Syrian citizens.

Rising Tensions and Lack of Governance in Suwayda

Barrack expressed deep concern over the renewed escalation in the area, saying that the absence of effective governance had allowed armed groups to fill the vacuum and act with malicious motives. He also said his team remains in contact with Druze social figure Atef Hinaidi, who was recently expelled from the governorate, as well as others affected by the sectarian violence.

Barrack stressed the importance of continued cooperation based on tolerance and dialogue between the Druze community and Arab tribes along Suwayda’s borders with neighboring countries.

U.S. Efforts and Government Measures

The U.S. envoy also pointed to measures taken by the Syrian government to address serious crimes committed during the July 2025 violence and to hold those responsible accountable before Syrian courts. He emphasized that accountability, security, and continued dialogue are essential to creating conditions for displaced people to return and for damaged areas to be rebuilt.

U.S.-Jordanian-Backed Roadmap

The roadmap for resolving the Suwayda crisis was announced in Damascus on September 16, 2025, with the support of Jordan and the United States. It was developed following talks aimed at addressing the repercussions of the July 2025 violence in the governorate.

The roadmap includes several key measures, including inviting the UN-mandated International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to investigate violations and hold perpetrators accountable; ensuring the continued flow of humanitarian and medical assistance; compensating those affected and facilitating the return of displaced people; restoring basic services; deploying local Interior Ministry forces to secure roads and facilitate the movement of civilians and trade; determining the fate of missing persons and facilitating the release and return of detainees and abductees; and launching an internal reconciliation process involving all components of the governorate.

Barrack has now urged all sides to exercise restraint and maintain serious communication, warning that abandoning dialogue would risk a return to further suffering rather than producing a lasting solution.