Reflections on South Africa’s Experience in Avoiding Civil War
Executive Summary:
This report underscores the grave risk of Syria sliding into civil war amid ongoing social polarization and sporadic outbreaks of violence across different regions of the country. Civil wars often result in the disintegration of social and political structures, the collapse of national economies, and the depletion of both human and material resources, leading, in turn, to widespread chaos, renewed waves of displacement and refugee flows, and the deepening of societal enmities rooted in sectarian and ethnic divisions.
To confront this threat, the report proposes drawing lessons from South Africa’s experience in the aftermath of apartheid, where the country successfully navigated the most severe potential social explosion through a peaceful democratic transition. In this case, the modern state overcame its legacy of injustice through several mechanisms: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which offered a platform for victims and perpetrators to speak and laid the foundation for symbolic reparations that reinforced restorative justice; the national reconciliation figures, such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, who adopted the “Rainbow Nation” discourse and transformed social attitudes through tolerance; and community-driven initiatives, including “Healing of Memories” programs and organizations such as Khulumani, which rebuilt trust and dialogue among diverse groups.
The report concludes that this model represents a genuine shift from policies of revenge to the construction of reconciliation, through inclusive arrangements that neither marginalize victims but instead validate their truths, nor fully exclude perpetrators who demonstrate acknowledgment and willingness to reconcile. Although the South African model was imperfect—most notably in the limited scope of reparations and the persistence of economic inequalities—the country nonetheless avoided the path of civil war, marking a remarkable achievement.
Applied to the current Syrian context, the report emphasizes that relying solely on a technocratic notion of justice—without genuine acknowledgment and consensual redress—may fuel a desire for revenge and perpetuate an endless cycle of violence. It further highlights that Syrian civil society presently lacks unifying and reconciliatory forces, while official institutions are either weak or unneutral, making the pursuit of transitional justice a formidable challenge that necessitates building new foundations for accountability, collective memory, and reparations where possible.
In conclusion, the report affirms that preventing a descent into internal conflict requires formulating a Syrian approach inspired by—but not identical to—the South African model, adapted with sufficient flexibility to Syria’s particular conditions. These include considering a hybrid justice approach that would hold accountable a segment of those implicated in the most horrific crimes, while adopting more flexible reconciliation approaches at lower levels; fortify the Syrian society by raising awareness about the risks of the current situation and the need to overcome divisions; and provide clear guarantees to ensure that transitional justice does not become a cover for collective revenge.
To read the full report click here (Arabic)
بكالوريوس في الترجمة ودبلوم إدارة أعمال، حاصلة على درجة الماجستير في العلاقات الدولية من جامعة kulture في تركيا، مهتمّة بالقضايا المجتمعية للسوريين في الداخل وفي تركيا.
