Rami Makhlouf will be a busy man in the coming years. He's the director of Damascus Cham Holding, which has been tasked with rebuilding Damascus' southern suburbs.

Makhlouf, the cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad, is one of the country's wealthiest individuals. He'll be overseeing the construction of some 12,000 high-class housing units in what was once a mixed neighborhood of houses and apartments.

Makhlouf and his company won't have to worry much about the rights and claims of those who own property in the area, as many homes have been destroyed in the seven-year civil war. Few homeowners will be able to actually prove their ownership.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? War with no end Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson



A law passed earlier this month has paved the way for this new construction scheme. The legislation stipulates that each district must establish a department tasked with rebuilding the respective area. After development plans are drawn up, owners of land, houses and apartments have 30 days to prove their ownership.

But the problem is that many who are affected by this new law have left the country. They have no way of returning to Syria within the 30-day time frame. And often, no relatives are left who could talk to the authorities on their behalf.

Not only that, but many documents proving ownership rights have been lost or destroyed in the war. Even if those affected by Syria's reconstruction efforts were in the country, they'd have a hard time proving ownership. According to French daily Le Monde, the United Nations estimates that only 9 percent of Syrian refugees abroad are in possession of such documents.

Read more: Will Assad get the message? Ask Russia and Iran, say former US officials

Fear of Syria's security agencies

Many homeowners face an additional obstacle: they must be vetted by Syria's security agencies. Which means that many opposition activists will opt to give up what is rightfully theirs. "Nobody who fled Assad will be so brave as to return to Syria," said Samir Matar, a DW journalist originally from Syria. "That could mean getting arrested."

Many of the areas now earmarked for reconstruction are predominantly inhabited by Sunnis, who tend to be critical of or outright reject Assad's regime. Many of these Sunnis were quick to join the 2011 uprising.

"From a political point of view, this law is a kind of punishment for those who protested," said Matar. "Assad is making it clear to his adversaries that their deeds are being punished through expropriation. He is teaching them a lesson that anyone who opposes him pays a price. And that can even mean losing your house."

Read more: German far-right AfD politicians travel to Syria in effort to send back refugees

Forced to sell below value

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But even if owners have the documents necessary to receive compensation, they would be little help. The new law stipulates that the property value is based on the worth before being integrated into the development scheme. Given that informal settlements were widespread in these areas now intended for high-class housing units, former owners face a massive loss in value. They will not benefit from the rise in property value resulting from the development scheme. Companies like the one controlled by Makhlouf purchase land cheaply, and stand to make huge profits.

The money earned from these developments — if it doesn't flow into the pockets of entrepreneurs — will serve to partially support Assad's regime and make it less dependent on Western money for reconstruction. In Assad's eyes, that's a good thing: Western money comes with strings attached, such as demands that minorities and opposition figures be protected.

These de facto expropriations also allow Assad to reward his political and military allies. "The properties are expropriated but don't belong to the local Syrian development departments. Instead, they're given to Assad-friendly businessmen," writes Jihad Yazigi, publishing editor of The Syria Report.

"The new law allows the regime to task entrepreneurs who have close ties to the government with rebuilding the country, be they Syrians, Iranian or Russians," Michel Shammas, a Syrian human rights activist, told news platform L'Orient-Le Jour.

Read more: Eastern Ghouta tragedy pits neighbors against each other

The area around Souq al-Hamidiyya, Damascus' main market, is valuable real estate

Collective punishment

The new law will also help the regime make far-reaching demographic — and political — changes in areas that have traditionally been critical of Assad. Matar suspects that regime supporters and loyalists among the civilian population will be first in line when it comes to selecting residents for the newly built areas. Alawites and Christians will largely benefit, while the Sunni majority will not — and Assad will have eradicated typical pockets of resistance. "And that way, Assad will ensure he has the support of new majorities in politically sensitive areas," said Matar.

DW journalist Sami Al-Habbal, whose family owns a house near Damascus, is among those who will be affected by the new property law. "We're currently unable to prove our ownership. We belong to the opposition. And it's too risky to return to Damascus," he said. "This law is like a collective punishment against the entire opposition."

In an unusually strong response, the German government has sharply spoken out against these moves. Germany is currently home to hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, many in the same situation as Sami Al-Habbal.