After Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) had arrived secretly in the capital Tripoli on the 1st of April, one of the rival governments that also resided in Tripoli has now resigned. The so-called National Salvation Government that was earlier established by the Tripoli-based Parliament has now ceased its duties as a rival executive authority after the EU had sanctioned the rival government's Prime Minister as well as two other rival leaders for hindering the new unity government. The unrecognized National Salvation Government stated in a document that it absolved itself out of responsibility for the country’s fate.

On the 3rd of April, several leaders from the Alawite sect that forms the base for President Assad’s fighting forces have released a document in which they distance themselves from the regime. The leaders stress that they do not want to be associated with the crimes the regime has committed as it does not represent them. The Alawites present themselves as the third model of Islam, next to Sunnism and Shi'ism and claim to fight against sectarian strife. The leaders claim that they are not calling on Assad’s removal but that the future for Syria is as a secular, pluralist and democratic state that respects fundamental rights. It is as of yet unclear how much support the leaders have within the Alawite population, how this will affect Assad’s source for his military and local paramilitary militias and how this will influence his stance within the current peace talks that followed the cease fire deal of the 23th of February 2016.

After a full air blockade launched by Libya’s non-recognized Tripoli-based parliament of the General National Congress (GNC), officials from Libya’s UN-backed unity government (Government of National Accord (GNA)) have arrived in Tripoli by boat and have started working from a secured naval base. The aim of the GNC blockade was to prevent the unity government from getting a foot on the ground in the capital to reduce their legitimacy and to bring forward their own National Salvation Government (NSG). Both the UN and Western powers recognize Libya’s unity government as solely legitimate as it aims to end the current political impasse and to form a united front against Islamic State (IS). Before starting a full military operation against IS in Libya, the UN is still waiting for the Government of National Accord to become official by securing a vote of approval from the internationally-recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR) in the eastern city of Tobruk.

After a year of waiting, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has finally delivered on long-overdue anti-corruption measures and other promises. On the 31st of March, Abadi trimmed the size of his cabinet from 22 ministers to 16 and submitted a list of 14 new names for parliamentary approval. He kept only his defence and interior ministers due to security reasons. After claims to instigate these transformations six weeks earlier but yet again delaying, street protests had broken out under the lead of anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and an ultimatum for 30 March was given by the Iraqi Parliament. As Abadi faced a potential vote-of-no-confidence, his decisions to form a technocrat government amount to a victory for Mr. Sadr and his massive support both inside and outside the ‘Green Zone’ (governmental quarter of the Parliament and Embassies).

Syrian Kurdish political groups have made the decision to seek an autonomous province and aim for a federal Syria after being excluded from UN-brokered peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) is not lobbying for an only-Kurdish region but wants to see the federal system applied to all of Syria as it would be the best way to protect Syria from being divided up due to major distrust among different sides. The Kurdish armed forces also known as the People’s Defence Units (YPG) are one of the most united and able fighting forces in the war and are now left without a say in Syria’s political future. The Syrian regime rejects the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish province in Syria, as well as the U.S. State Department which claims that any new federal model has to emerge from peace talks. The U.S. Pentagon is however strongly backing the Kurds and Russia has suggested that a federalised stated could be a legitimate option for Syria’s future. Neighbouring Turkey opposes a Kurdish state due to fears of encouraging separatism among its own Kurdish minority.

On the 15th of March 2016, Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has declared the immediate withdrawal of the majority of Russian forces present in Syria. The Russian mission which started 6 months earlier in September, coincided with the start of the Syrian peace talks in Geneva of March 2016 (initiated earlier in February) and can be seen as sign that Russia believes it has succeeded in protecting the Syrian regime under Assad from collapsing and to have won Russian political leverage on the peace negotiations. Militarily and politically, Syria is the main element for Russian influence in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and the only country outside of the former Soviet Union with Russian military bases. With its military involvement in the conflict, Russia has secured its bases in Syria and contacts in the Syrian military. It now has to force Assad to negotiate a peace deal and retrieving Russian forces has given Assad more incentives to do so.