Issue 31

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Issue 31 – January 2026

Politics & Power

The year of the two generals

Neither victor nor vanquished, Syria’s leaders edge towards shared rule

Diplomacy

Scramble for Syria

Why the UN Special Envoy’s presence in Syria remains stuck between mandates, mistrust, and a foot-dragging Security Council

Local Dynamics

Faith, fear, and federalism

What the controversy over Alawite cleric Ghazal Ghazal is really about

Politics & Power

Capturing the middle ground

As politics returns to Syria, what constitutes the centre now matters

Economy, Aid & Reconstruction

The vocational training reflex

Moving from stopgap training to demand-driven job creation

Book Review

Transformed by the People – or performed for the people?

A critical review of Jerome Drevon and Patrick Haenni’s book on HTS’s road to power

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