Syrian interim government appoints new governor of Damascus

Syria’s new interim government on Sunday appointed Maher Marwan Idlibi as the new governor of Damascus for the transition period, a day after appointing trusted men of the de facto leader, Ahmed al Sharaa, as defense and relations ministers. Exteriors.

Idlibi, born in Damascus, will occupy this position as of this week, according to the government, explaining that the now new governor fled the Syrian capital in 2011, at the beginning of the popular uprisings against the regime of Bashar al Assad, as part of the so-called Arab Spring .

The new governor, who studied sharia (Islamic law) and law at the University of Idlib, has worked in several institutions of the Salvation Government, the administration established in Idlib province – in northwestern Syria and a former opposition stronghold in the country – since 2017.

This administration was the political arm of the Levant Liberation Organization (Hayat Tahrir al Sham, or HTS, in Arabic), which led the insurgent coalition that overthrew the Assad regime in just 12 days.

The interim government thus continues to appoint key positions for the transition period of the new Syria, after the new administration yesterday appointed Marhaf Abu Qasra (known by his nom de guerre Abu al Hasan al Hamawi) as interim Defense Minister, as well as Asaad Hasan al Shaibani (who previously called himself Zaid al Attar) as head of Foreign Affairs, both men of Al Sharaa’s confidence.