The reactions of Syrian factions to the Arab League’s decision to lift the suspension of Syria’s participation after more than ten years of isolation were mixed, underscoring the deep divisions in the country after years of bloodshed.

The decision by Arab League foreign ministers on Sunday cements a regional push to normalize relations with President Bashar al-Assad, whose country’s membership in the organization was suspended in 2011 after a crackdown on the opposition.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, millions more displaced at home and abroad, and infrastructure destroyed after years of bombing.

Syria’s readmission to the Arab League was a “shock” for Syrians and will “kill the political process”, said Bander Jamous, the head of the opposition negotiating team in the bogged down peace talks at the United Nations.

The opposition was supported for years by countries that now support normalization including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In a post on Twitter, Jamous said there was “no consultation” with Assad’s opponents about the Arab League’s decisions.

Parts of northern Syria remain under the control of Turkish-backed rebel groups, and protests against a normalization with Assad have grown there in recent months.

The Syria Campaign, which campaigns for victims of human rights abuses in Syria, said yesterday’s decision “sends a chilling message” and “puts a final nail in the coffin of the Arab Spring’s hopes for freedom and democracy”.

Others were more positive. The Syrian Democratic Council, the political body that governs the semi-autonomous regions of northeastern Syria, said it “welcomes” the decision to withdraw Syria’s participation in a statement issued today.

Syrian political activists with ties to the government — including former deputy prime minister Qadri Jamil — cautiously encouraged the decision in a statement posted online.

They said it allows for a regional Arab role, which could lead to “a positive outcome within the Syrian file.”

And a Facebook page that publishes news from various Syrian university campuses posted a file photo of the Syrian headquarters of the Arab League with the caption: “After 12 years, the Arab League comes back to life.”