Issued on:

43:02 min

It was exactly one year ago today that the lightning offensive reached its ultimate conclusion. Syria saw the fall of Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of his regime in a blitz that stunned the world. In Damascus, celebrations erupted in Umayyad Square, as Syrians emerged from thirteen years of brutal civil war, marking a moment of both relief and disbelief. In the chaos that followed, Assad fled to Moscow, and former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the interim president, took the reins. His charm offensive has seen him meet with world leaders, even speaking at the United Nations, presenting a new face of Syria.

However, the year since has been fraught with challenges. Latakia and Tartus Sectarian violence, skirmishes in the south, bombings in Damascus, and tensions with Kurdish forces in the northeast have all threatened stability. While Syrians begin returning to a country unrecognizable from its former self, questions remain: Can Syria rebuild? What will become of its minorities? Have we seen enough in terms of transitional justice? And, with an economy still in tatters, can Syria recover from the horrors of the past?

Produced by Théophille Vareille, Elisa Amiri.