One year after Assad's fall, Syria is experiencing remarkable progress in its process of change despite numerous challenges

Syria continues to move forward after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to usher in ‘a new dawn’ as the country seeks to overcome numerous challenges to its stability and recovery, one year after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

Sharaa's radical Islamist alliance launched a lightning offensive in late November last year and took Damascus on 8 December, abruptly ending more than five decades of Assad family rule and more than a decade of civil war.

Assad's removal sparked a rapid momentum for change backed by the United States and regional powers.

Jubilant crowds filled the streets of the capital and other major cities, many waving Syrian flags, after mosques in the Old City began the day by broadcasting celebratory prayers at dawn.

‘Today, with the dawn of freedom, we declare a historic break with that legacy, a complete dismantling of the illusion of falsehood and a permanent departure from the era of despotism and tyranny, marking the beginning of a bright new dawn, a dawn founded on justice, benevolence... and peaceful coexistence,’ Sharaa said in a speech commemorating the occasion.

Sharaa also reaffirmed his ‘commitment to the principle of transitional justice to ensure accountability for all those who violated the law and committed crimes against the Syrian people.’

The fragile transition of power in multi-faith Syria has also been rocked by sectarian massacres in the country's Alawite coastal heartland and deadly clashes in Druze-majority Sweida in the south.

Authorities announced investigations after some government forces or allies were implicated in the violence.

The civil war, which broke out in 2011, killed more than half a million people and displaced millions.

Tens of thousands of people remain missing, many of them after disappearing in the prisons of the former government, and their families await justice.

Sharaa has made tangible progress abroad in restoring Syria's international standing and lifting sanctions.

Encouraged by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump has offered strong support for the new regime in Damascus. The US Senate and House of Representatives introduced a bill on Monday that would repeal the so-called Caesar sanctions, a measure considered key to Syria's economic recovery.

But Sharaa faces major challenges at home, including winning the trust of the people, ensuring security, rebuilding institutions and holding his fractured country together.

‘The current phase requires the unification of efforts by all citizens to build a strong Syria, consolidate its stability, safeguard its sovereignty and achieve a future worthy of the sacrifices of its people,’ Sharaa said after dawn prayers at Damascus' famous Umayyad Mosque.

Syrian authorities have announced major investment deals, including in infrastructure, but most Syrians have yet to see significant improvements.

Security remains a persistent problem, and critics have accused the new government of marginalising minorities and failing to protect them.

Some have called for decentralisation or self-determination, which Sharaa has strongly opposed, insisting on a centralised state.

Amnesty International stated that ‘the new government's response to the serious violations committed since it came to power... will be a litmus test of its commitment to the pursuit of justice and accountability.’

Human Rights Watch stated that the authorities ‘have taken positive steps on justice, transparency and rights, but have failed to prevent ongoing violence and atrocities.’

In a statement, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that ‘what lies ahead is much more than a political transition; it is an opportunity to rebuild shattered communities and heal deep divisions’ and forge a nation where all Syrians ‘can live in safety, equality and dignity.’

But not everyone was celebrating on Monday. Shops were closed in the coastal city of Jableh and its surroundings, where a prominent Alawite spiritual leader had urged members of the religious minority, to which the Assads belong, to boycott the celebrations in protest against the new authorities.

In the Kurdish-controlled northeast, authorities announced a ban on public gatherings, citing security concerns.

Under an agreement reached in March, the Kurdish administration was to integrate its institutions into the central government by the end of the year, but progress has stalled.

In a statement on Monday, Kurdish authorities expressed support for the celebrations but condemned a video in which Defence Ministry personnel said they would be coming to the northeast.

Israeli military operations and demands for a demilitarised zone in southern Syria are further challenges, despite ongoing negotiations between the two countries to address each other's security concerns.

Sharaa told a forum in Qatar that ‘Syria is experiencing its best times today,’ despite episodes of violence, and said those responsible would be held accountable.

He said a transition period led by him would continue for four more years to establish institutions, laws and a new constitution, which would be put to a public vote, at which point the country would hold elections.

Al-Sharaa wields broad powers under a temporary constitution approved in March. Authorities organised an indirect vote in October to form a parliament, but Sharaa has yet to elect a third of the 210 members stipulated by the constitution.