Ahmad Jarba

Ahmad Jarba
President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces
In office 6 July 2013 – 12 July 2014
Prime Minister	Ghassan Hitto (Acting) Ahmad Tu'mah
Preceded by	George Sabra (Acting)
Succeeded by	Hadi al-Bahra[1]
Personal details
Born	15 September 1969[2] Qamishli, Syria
Alma mater	Beirut Arab University
Religion	Sunni Islam

Ahmad Jarba (Arabic: أحمد عوينان العاصي الجربا‎‎^[3]), born in the city of Qamishli in 1969, is a Syrian opposition member (SDF)^[4] and former political prisoner.^[5] He is a public opponent of Bashar al-Assad and between 6 July 2013 and 11 July 2014 he was President of the Syrian National Coalition,^[6] which is the main coalition of opposition groups in the Syrian Civil War, as well as being a member of the Syrian National Council.^[7] His election took place in the second round of voting of a three days meeting organized by the Coalition in order to renew its board. He obtained 55 votes, three more than his rival Mustafa Sabbagh, who was supported by Qatar.^[5] According to a July 2013 article in The Economist, "there is little reason to believe he will wield more influence than his predecessor, Moaz al-Khatib."^[5] Jarba was re-elected on 5 January 2014, with 65 votes, defeating his only opponent Riyad Farid Hijab by 13 votes.^[8]

Jarba is the president of the Syria's Tomorrow Movement, a member of the Shammar tribe and the cousin of Al-Sanadid Forces tribal leader Hamidi Daham al-Hadi who also is an SDF member.

On 13 September Ahmad Jarba met with the leader of the Movement for a Democratic Society, representing the de facto autonomous administration of the Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava, in order to form an agreement to participate in the governing of northeastern Syria.^[9] They issued a joint statement that "the monist powers insisting on one party, one flag and one nation are doomed to fail, and peoples are trying to realize their dreams for a democratic, pluralist and united Syria."^[10][11] By extension his forces the al-Nukhbat Brigade also joined the SDF.^[12][13][14]

References

1. "Syrian opposition body elects new president". Reuters. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
2. Ahmad al-Jarba: 'Al-Assad will not win'
3. "أحمد عوينان الجربا" (in Arabic). Syrian National Coalition. 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
4. http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/13092016
5. "Better than the one before?". The Economist. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
6. "Syrian National Coalition facing splits over new president". Asharq Al-Awsat. 12 July 2014.
7. "Who's who: Ahmad Assi Jarba". The Syrian Observer. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
8. "Syria opposition re-elects Jarba as leader". Al Arabiya. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
9. "Syrian tomorrow and self-management stream are calling for a dialogue under the auspices of Syrian Arabic". Syria's Tomorrow. 11 September 2016.
10. "Agreement for the future of Syria". ANF. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
11. https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar/comments/52jbwb/syrian_opposition_leader_hails_new_coalition_with/d7kyub0
12. "Bosno Sinj". Twitter. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
13. "South Hasakah/North Deir Ezzor situation on April 28, 2016". agathocledesyracuse.com. 28 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016.
14. Szakola, Albin. "New rebel force battling ISIS in northeast Syria". Retrieved 19 June 2016.