Protests against Assad in Idlib

Protests against Assad in Idlib

Hundreds of Syrians protested on Monday in the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria in response to the resumption of relations between several Arab countries and the government of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria.

Some protesters considered those who reconcile with the Syrian government as traitors.

Since the start of the war in 2011, Assad’s government has had very limited relations.

On Wednesday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, traveled to Damascus, becoming the first Saudi official to visit since the conflict began. Prior to that, Faisal Mekdad, a senior Syrian diplomat, had visited Saudi Arabia.

This month, diplomats from nine Arab countries also visited Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the isolation of the Assad government, but no conclusions were reached.

The United States has not welcomed the normalization of relations between regional countries and the Assad government. A spokesperson for the US State Department told Reuters that their position on this matter has not changed, and they no longer encourage other countries to normalize relations with Syria.