PARIS, France - The Arab League has decided to restore Syria’s membership after more than 10 years of suspension, a spokesperson for the regional organization said on Sunday.
The move reflects a growing trend of Arab states re-engaging with President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces have regained control of most of the country after a decade-long civil war.
Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011, following a violent crackdown on anti-government protests that sparked a bloody conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more.
Since then, many Arab countries have severed diplomatic ties with Damascus and imposed sanctions on the Syrian regime.
However, in recent months, several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have signaled a willingness to resume relations with Assad, who has also received support from Iran and Russia.
Some Arab officials have cited security and humanitarian reasons for their outreach to Syria, while others have expressed frustration with the lack of progress in the UN-led political process to end the war.
The Arab League’s decision was announced by Gamal Roshdy, a spokesperson for the organisation’s secretary general, after a closed meeting of Arab foreign ministers at its headquarters in Cairo.
He said the decision was based on “the principle of Arab solidarity and the preservation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
He added that the Arab League would work to facilitate Syria’s participation in the upcoming summit of Arab leaders in Riyadh on May 19, where they are expected to discuss the peace and terms of normalizing ties with Damascus.
However, not all Arab states are on board with the decision. Qatar has voiced its opposition to any full normalization without a political solution that meets the demands of the Syrian people.
