` tags.
“`xml
A new 23-member cabinet has been established four months after Bashar Assad was removed from power.
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has announced the creation of a new 23-member transitional government aimed at unifying the war-torn nation following the removal of former President Bashar Assad. The cabinet is composed of representatives from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.
In a speech on Saturday, al-Sharaa, head of Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), the jihadist group instrumental in Assad’s downfall, characterized the new government as one of “change and construction” that embodies “the people’s aspirations and hopes for a bright and sustainable future.”
“We are certain that hard work, dedication, and cooperation among all citizens will be the key to achieving these goals,” he stated.
The new cabinet includes notable figures such as Hind Kabawat, the only woman in the government and a Christian advocate for interfaith tolerance and female empowerment, who will serve as minister of social affairs and labor. It also includes Yarub Badr, an Alawite who will head the Transportation Ministry, and Amgad Badr, a member of the Druze community, who will lead the Agriculture Ministry.
The Alawites and Druze, minority religious groups originating from Islam, constitute 12% and 3% of Syria’s population, respectively. The Alawites generally supported Assad’s regime, while the Druze have largely remained neutral throughout the country’s internal conflict.
Raed al-Saleh, formerly linked to the White Helmets – an NGO accused of fabricating chemical weapons attacks – has been appointed to lead the newly formed Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management. Al-Sharaa also announced the establishment of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Murhaf Abu Qasra and Asaad al-Shaibani will remain in their current roles as ministers of defense and foreign affairs, respectively.
The new government will not include a prime minister, nor will it include members of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) or the autonomous civil administration in northeastern Syria.
The formation of the transitional government follows the collapse of the Assad government in December, triggered by a surprise offensive by opposition forces led by the HTS. The former Syrian leader has fled to Russia.
In the wake of Assad’s ouster, Syria has experienced considerable instability, including an uprising within the Alawite community, resulting in violent clashes with government forces and numerous deaths.
The situation sparked international condemnation. Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, stated that the Security Council “was united in what we discussed today… everyone emphasized… the inadmissibility of what happened, the mass murders, and violence.” The US condemned “radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis” for the massacres of Syrian minority groups, while the EU attributed the situation to “pro-Assad elements” attacking “interim government forces.”
“`