Baladi News – (Saleh Abu Ismail)
Expansionist ambitions of the conflicting parties over Manbij city and its surroundings turned them indifferent about the lives of thousands of civilians. Syria’s Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by the international coalition that started its operations in 2014, have imposed a tight blockade on ISIS-controlled city for 48 days in order to gain control over it. Also, SDF have not allowed the opening of a humanitarian passage for civilians, which means no end of their sufferings in the near future, under the shortage of foodstuff and medical care, constant bombardments on their houses by SDF and the international coalition forces, not to mention ISIS car bombs and mine fields.
All are Criminals
All parties participating in the battles of Manbij are criminals against civilians. By cutting-off humanitarian aid supply roads and executing indiscriminate bombardment that killed dozens of residents who have nothing to do with ISIS, SDF committed crimes against humanity. In addition, the airstrikes of the international coalition forces also targeted civilians rather than ISIS militants. According to activists, the airstrikes were huge and indiscriminate, and the majority of their victims are civilians.
On the other hand, ISIS committed other types of crimes by preventing families from leaving the city by setting up checkpoints at its exits.
Abdel Moneim Eid, head of Media Commission of the Board of Trustees of the Revolution in Manbij, called upon “the international community and all conflicting parties to open humanitarian passages to Manbij, rescue the wounded, and enter medical materials into the city. In Manbij, there are over 200 thousand civilians. Most of those are old people, women, and children who were unable to leave previously, in addition to very few numbers of youths, as was shown in pictures of Tuesday’s massacre in Tokhar village, where dozens casualties resulted. ”
Winning Supporters
SDF seek to promote the satisfaction and trust of the international coalition by capturing Manbij, because this would establish them as the main ally for the international coalition and the trustworthiest party in fighting terrorism in the region, which could help the Kurdish militias that form the majority of these forces declare their sought after state in northern Syria.
Meanwhile, the governments of the international coalition want to force ISIS out of the city, even at the expense of civilians, in order to appear victorious against terrorism before their people and voters, which would give them support to achieve their schemes in the Middle East.
As for ISIS, the proclaimed Islamic State endeavors to expand its controlled areas in eastern Syria and Aleppo northern countryside, and Manbij battle is the most important for the organization in northern Syria to beat or exhaust SDF as much as possible.
Victims of the Schemes
Civilians are still the victims of political schemes of conflicting parties. In Manbij alone, more than 700 civilians were killed, of whom 250 names were documented. The casualties include more than 70 and 50 children and women respectively according to activists. Whereas the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) declared that the number of civilian casualties has reached 200, including women and children, since the beginning of the campaign.
The international coalition and SDF escalated their bombardments over the past few days and committed a huge massacre against 160 civilians in Tokhar village.
Ibrahim al-Hajji, head of the legal office of the political committee in Manbij, said that “Civilians are paying the price of the ongoing conflict. In the first place, I hold the international community responsible for this campaign, which is being managed by the international coalition and executed by SDF. In the second place, those Islamic and Arab states that can exert pressure on the coalition are partially responsible. ”
Media Blackout
It is no secret that media coverage is so week inside the city of Manbij due to the domination of ISIS as well as its policy against media. In addition, the area is difficult to reach for fear of all parties, which makes the coverage limited to personal communications among media activists through the Turkish communication network that covers the city due to its proximity to the Turkish borders, which means that a little of the truth is being reflected.
Regarding the weak media coverage, al-Hajji said that “media blackout is a part of the violent campaign by the international coalition. Indeed, the activists and educated people in Manbij have communicated what is happening in city to mass media in the fullest, but the media have revealed a very little part and left the rest in their drawers.”
Most importantly, Media are afraid of being charged with supporting ISIS if they publish the consequences of the blockade, bombardments, and crimes of SDF as well as the airstrikes of the international coalition forces against civilians, despite very shy reference to the sufferings of residents by these media, which led a number of activists to start a campaign on social media under the hashtag #Manbij-perish.