A SYRIAN refugee living in Enniskillen has expressed relief and hope after rebel forces drove President Bashar al-Assad out of Syria, ending decades of Assad family rule.
Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria since 2000 after succeeding his father, was ousted over the weekend as rebel forces reclaimed key cities, ending a civil war that claimed over half a million lives.
The rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham announced the victory on Sunday, with reports indicating Assad has been granted asylum in Moscow.
Ali Swidani, who fled Syria and now resides in Enniskillen, expressed disbelief and relief upon hearing the news.
“We thought it was fake news,” Mr Swidani told the Fermanagh Herald . “Hour after hour, we called our families, and then we started to believe the regime was no more. It’s like a nightmare is over. Assad’s regime was like a nightmare, and now it’s gone.”
Mr Swidani hopes the country can rebuild, emphasising the need for stability and democratic governance.
“We need the country to be stable, like it was before. We need to see a new government and democratic ruling again,” he said.
While hopeful, Mr Swidani’s family remains impacted by the unrest. His parents in Damascus are dealing with power outages and limited communication. Earlier this year, his sister and her family survived a devastating earthquake in Turkey after fleeing Syria.
“There’s so much disturbance and unrest. People are staying indoors for their safety,” he said.
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