Head of Syrian High Negotiations Committee Resigns

Riyad Hijab, the head of the "High Negotiations Committee," an alliance of groups opposing Bashar al-Assad's government, resigned from his position on Monday, November 20. According to Reuters, Hijab has worked for the past two years to bring together military and political groups opposing the Syrian government, which were supported by Saudi Arabia, under the "High Negotiations Committee." Hijab previously served as Prime Minister under Bashar al-Assad's government but separated from the Syrian regime after the onset of popular protests in 2011. The "High Negotiations Committee" was formed in 2015 during negotiations among some opposition groups in Saudi Arabia and participated in the peace talks in Geneva. On Monday, Hijab stated in a declaration that he has resigned but did not provide further details regarding the reasons for his resignation. According to Al Arabiya, Hijab wrote in a statement published on his Twitter account: "After nearly two years of hard and continuous work for the glorious Syrian revolution, I find myself compelled to resign from the High Negotiations Committee today. I wish this committee success and hope for peace, security, and stability for my beloved country, Syria." Reports indicate that Hijab's resignation came two days before a "broad" meeting of opposition groups in the Saudi capital. According to the Saudi state news agency, the meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Saudi Arabia will discuss ways to cooperate in bringing together opposition groups and their unification. Al Jazeera also reported that at the new meeting in Saudi Arabia, the groups present in the "High Negotiations Committee" will negotiate with other groups known as the "Moscow" and "Cairo" groups regarding cooperation. According to this report, the "Moscow" and "Cairo" groups have ties with Russia, and Bashar al-Assad's government tolerates them. Al Jazeera, citing Syrian opposition figures, stated that Riyad Hijab resigned in "protest against the new round of negotiations" of the opposition groups against Bashar al-Assad's government in Saudi Arabia.