On April 14, 2026, the village of al-Fustat in the Qamishli countryside of Al-Hasakah province hosted a gathering of Shammar tribal notables. During the meeting, Sheikh Saif al-Jarba was declared the Chief of the tribe in Syria, effectively announcing the removal of Sheikh Manaa Hamidi al-Jarba from the position.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the presence of several tribal leaders loyal to the authority of Ahmed al-Sharaa. The move is widely viewed as direct support for Saif al-Jarba at the expense of Sheikh Manaa Hamidi al-Daham, who assumed the tribal leadership following the death of his father, in accordance with established tribal customs.
Sheikh Manaa faces accusations from supporters of the current authority regarding his ties to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). However, the Shammar tribe under his leadership maintained a neutral stance during the recent bloody offensive east of the Euphrates targeting Kurds, declining to participate in military operations despite the privileges tribal leaders received during the period of SDF control in the region.
Conversely, sources within the Shammar tribe expressed surprise at the announcement of Saif al-Jarba’s installation, describing it as a sudden move lacking tribal consensus. These sources asserted that Saif al-Jarba does not represent the tribe in Syria, noting that while he enjoys the backing of entities affiliated with Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authority, he lacks broad recognition within tribal circles.
The sources emphasized that the tribal reference for the Shammar is well-known and represented by the family of Daham Hadi al-Jarba, considered the historical house of leadership for the tribe in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf States. They clarified that the current Sheikh is Manaa Hamidi Daham al-Hadi al-Jarba, who took over the leadership following the passing of his father, Sheikh Hamidi Daham al-Jarba, as per tribal traditions.
Furthermore, they stressed that any attempts to impose figures or titles without tribal consensus would not be binding on the tribe’s members and would not reflect its true representation. This development signals the potential for deepening divisions within the tribe in the coming period.
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