Sectarian violence shattered generations of fragile coexistence between Bedouins and Druze in Syria’s Sweida province in July. It was some of Syria's worst bloodshed since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled. Many thousands fled. Months later, the path home remains uncertain.

As Suwayda

Longstanding peaceful coexistence between Bedouin and Druze communities in Syria's southern Suwayda province was shattered by sectarian violence that erupted in July. The conflict, triggered by the reported abduction of a Druze merchant, led to clashes between government forces and Druze militias, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands, mostly Druze.

Many Bedouins, including the family of Faisal Spez, fled the province and now live in temporary conditions, facing hostility and uncertainty about returning home. Both communities accuse each other of violence and displacement, while Druze leaders deny organized expulsion of Bedouins. Efforts to resolve the conflict, including a government-backed roadmap, have so far been rejected by local Druze authorities.

In Syria’s south, Bedouins see little hope of return

For generations, Syria's Bedouin and Druze communities lived together as neighbors in the southern province of Suwayda. MAN, Bedouin Resident, Suwayda, Syria We lived with them without a hint of trouble. We lived together. We bought bread from the same bakery, water from the same shop. Everything changed in July. Sectarian violence tore through Druze-majority Suwayda, in a country where Sunni Muslims are the dominant religious group. It was some of Syria's worst bloodshed since Bashar al-Assad was toppled. And for families like Faisal Spez, those generations of fragile coexistence ended in moments. They are among many thousands of Bedouins who fled the province. Now, fear and hostility on both sides leave little hope of displaced Bedouins returning home soon. It started in mid-July, when residents said Bedouins abducted a Druze merchant on the road to Damascus, and escalated from there. Government forces sent to restore order clashed with Druze militias. Two monitoring groups said more than 1,000 people were killed, and tens of thousands displaced, most of them Druze. Faisal says his family sought sanctuary with Druze neighbors, who offered them protection. But then, they were taken by Druze gunmen, and held in a village school. They came, took these people out, and loaded them into vehicles, put them in cars and pickups and in the bus. Behind every vehicle, there were two or three armed men with their rifles on the people. It was the same on the bus. When their guards disappeared, they tried to escape. Shots were fired, and three of them were killed, the family says, including Faisal's 20-year-old daughter, who was getting married the next day. Here she is. She was martyred in these clothes, the same clothes. Faisal's family now lives here, in a tent in a neighboring province, with a work of farmers' fields. Members of both communities say their homes were torched, looted or occupied. Both accuse each other of holding prisoners. Faisal accuses militias loyal to leading Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmet al-Hajari of driving his Sunni community out of Suwayda. Over a dozen displaced Bedouins interviewed by Reuters said the same. But Druze leaders, like Tareh al-Ma'oush, said they tried to protect Bedouin families. They deny there was a campaign to evict them, and say uprooted Druze are also waiting to return home. TAREH AL-MA'OUSH, Bedouin Leader of Suwayda Cleric Sheikh Hikmet al-Hajari's Family The term expelling the Bedouins is unacceptable because we have gathered the Bedouins in safe spaces within their neighborhoods to evacuate them on humanitarian grounds. Ma'oush denies that Druze militias attacked Bedouin civilians. He questioned how the Spez could know who fired at them when there was fighting in the area. If there is confrontation between us, and you fire on us, not one of you will remain alive. Video clips verified by Reuters were circulating on social media at the time, showing the Bedouin families at the Druze property. In one clip, a voice tells assembled Bedouin men they are safe, before accusing Sunni co-religionists of coming to kill Druze children. We will protect you, but if they reach here, you and them will be in the same boat. When asked about these videos, Ma'oush noted there was an ongoing conflict, and said a person may, quote, go too far verbally. But he said the men's remarks shouldn't be taken as threats or evidence that Bedouins were expelled from Suwayda. Still, Ma'oush says their return is, for now, unacceptable. He accused Bedouin fighters of taking part in what he described as ethnic cleansing by Syria's Islamist-led government and extremist groups. They, Bedouins, are like a cancerous mass inside a healthy body and a destructive condition that participated in the bloodshed of Suwayda's people. Druze fighters now control much of Suwayda, patrolling roads and running local councils. And tensions remain high as the country's new rulers attempt to exert control. In September, the government announced a roadmap to resolve the conflict, backed by the U.S. and Jordan. But Druze authorities quickly rejected it, demanding self-determination instead. As for Faisal, he worked in Lebanon for 17 years to build a home in Suwayda, where he raised livestock and grew wheat and figs. It all disappeared in July. For his family, and thousands like them, the path home remains uncertain. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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