UN Chief Guterres Makes Historic Visit to Post-War Syria
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to visit Syria on Saturday, marking the first trip by a serving UN chief since before the 2011 war. The nearly 14-year conflict killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
The visit comes after rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, ending the war and beginning a transitional period led by an Islamist-led government. Guterres described the end of Assad's rule as a sign of hope for the region.
Guterres will meet President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously headed al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria and was under UN terrorism-related sanctions until November 2025. He will also meet Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, other officials, and civil society representatives, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The UN chief will stress that Syria has an opportunity to recover and build a stable, inclusive, and prosperous future, Dujarric said. Guterres is expected to be in Damascus for several days. The visit follows a bombing near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron stayed during the first EU head-of-state visit since Assad's ouster.
President al-Sharaa's government aims to rebuild international ties and the economy after years of war and isolation. The transition has been marked by two major sectarian violence episodes: nearly 1,500 Alawites were killed by government-aligned factions, and hundreds of Druze were killed in the south. Guterres has called for accountability.
Al-Sharaa, who broke with al Qaeda in 2016, led the rebel alliance that ousted Assad. His government has sought diplomatic ties beyond Assad's allies Russia and Iran. Last year, al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president since 1967 to address the UN General Assembly.
The United States has lifted most sanctions on Syria, and President Donald Trump indicated he would remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Guterres is expected to address Syria's new Parliament on Monday and visit a UN peacekeeping force maintaining a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces. Israeli troops have occupied areas in southern Syria after Assad's ouster; Damascus demands their withdrawal and return to the 1974 disengagement agreement.
