Dozens of citizens in the Benî Zeyd area of Aleppo’s Ashrafiyah neighborhood gathered in the neighborhood’s central square and made a statement. They called on the transitional government to lift the sieges on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah and to end the pressure on citizens. The statement was read by Ömer El Başî, a member of the Benî Zeyd Commune.
At a time when Syrian factions are acting with hope for peace and security, the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods are subjected to attacks and sieges, said the statement and underlined that Transitional Government forces and affiliated groups attacked these two neighborhoods without any justification and committed violations against the residents.
Recalling the agreement signed on April 1 between the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah Neighborhoods Council and the Transitional Government, the statement noted that the Transitional Government had failed to fulfill its responsibilities towards the people of these two neighborhoods and to ensure security in Aleppo city and among the Syrian people in general.
The statement pointed out that armed groups have been exerting significant pressure on civilians in both neighborhoods recently and that an embargo has been in place on both neighborhoods for 24 days. It stated that this embargo targets a model that enabled solidarity among the Syrian people during the Assad regime and symbolized shared life, dignity, and civilian resistance. According to the residents, the aim of the embargo is to break the will of a united community that resolutely defends its freedoms.
Despite the ceasefire in place, the barriers around both neighborhoods and in the Benî Zeyd region remain in place, said the statement, noting that these obstructions are carried out by unorganized groups supported by the Turkish government.
The statement condemned the embargo imposed by the Transitional Government and the violations and abductions targeting civilians, remarking that these actions are not isolated incidents but rather a systematic policy that endangers the lives of the people and undermines the political peace process.
The statement highlighted the popular support for the Internal Security Forces and called on the Transitional Government to fulfill its responsibilities towards the residents of Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafiyah, and Benî Zeyd. It noted that these neighborhoods are part of Aleppo and that they must now live in peace and security.
The statement called on the Transitional Government to lift the embargo imposed on both neighborhoods, allow the passage of basic necessities, fuel, and medicine, stop attacks and violations against civilians, remove earthen barriers on roads, and hold those responsible for these violations accountable.