Syria's al-Sharaa urges rule of law and state monopoly on weapons

Damascus [Syria], February 20: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Tuesday stressed the importance of the rule of law and said the state should have a monopoly over weapons in the country.
Addressing some 600 people at the opening of the National Dialogue conference in Damascus, al-Sharaa urged Syrians "to stand united and cooperate" in building the country back up after years of civil war.
The state controlling all weapons "is not a luxury, but a duty and a must. Syria cannot be divided and its power is in its unity," he said in a televised speech. He also said that a transitional judicial authority will be formed.
Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, led the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which along with a coalition of armed groups drove Bashar al-Assad from power in December.
Representatives of civil society, religious communities and different political affiliations were invited to the National Dialogue conference to discuss the future of the country. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune