Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jowlani has dropped his military moniker linked to his jihadist past and is using his real name, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in official communiqués issued since Thursday, ahead of the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
The move is part of Jawlani’s efforts to bolster his legitimacy in a new context where his Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which leads other rebel groups, announced it had seized the Syrian capital Damascus, consolidating its control over much of countries.
Dowlani’s transformation is not recent, but has been carefully cultivated over the years, evident not only in his public statements and interviews with international publications, but also in his evolving appearance.
Once dressed in the traditional garb of jihadist fighters, he has adopted a more Western wardrobe in recent years. Now leading the offensive, he donned a military uniform, symbolizing his role as the commander of an operational branch.
But who is Jawlani – or Ahmed al-Sharaa – and why and how did he change?
