SYRIA’S new Islamist rulers opened a long-awaited national dialogue conference today, calling it a “rare historical opportunity” to rebuild the country.

About 600 representatives from across Syria gathered in Damascus, hosted by the new authorities led by former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that spearheaded the lightning offensive that ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in early December.

“Just as Syria has liberated itself by itself, it is appropriate for it to build itself by itself,” interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa told the conference.

“What we are experiencing today is an exceptional and rare historical opportunity in which we must use every moment to serve the interests of our people and our nation and honour the sacrifices of its children.”

The gathering aims to draft non-binding recommendations for the country’s interim governance ahead of constitutional reforms and the formation of a new government.

Syria’s new leadership has pledged an inclusive political transition, but many among Syria’s minority communities — including Kurds, Christians, Druze and members of Assad’s Alawite sect — remain sceptical of HTS’s promises

HTS was formerly affiliated with al-Qaida, although it broke ties.

Syria’s new leaders also face the challenge of integrating former insurgent factions into a unified national army, which they say should control all Syrian territory.

But some armed groups, most notably the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which holds power in north-eastern Syria, have so far refused to disarm or dissolve their units.

Some Kurds, who make up about 10 per cent of Syria’s population, were invited to the dialogue, but the SDF was not.

The interim government has made disarmament and integration into a unified national military a precondition for participation.

At the conference, Mr Sharaa reaffirmed the need for state control over all armed groups.

“There are those who seek to undermine the achievements of the Syrian people, and we must firmly confront anyone who attempts to tamper with our security and unity,” he said, without naming specific factions.

The conference organisers have previously stated that the SDF does not represent all Syrian Kurds.