Syria’s Kurdish Forces Reach Agreement with Government
The regime of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharah, who leads the al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), recently struck a deal with the U.S.-aligned Kurdish forces, significantly reducing Kurdish autonomy. In return, Damascus promised to acknowledge the cultural and linguistic rights of Kurdish people.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led military unit that played a key role in liberating Raqqa from the Islamic State, has faced challenges in establishing a workable relationship with the Sharah administration over the past year. The SDF and its political counterpart, the Democratic Autonomous Authority for Northeastern Syria (DAANES), have largely functioned independently from the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who fled in December 2024 after HTS took control of Aleppo, leading to his forces’ collapse.
Clashes in Aleppo re-ignited tensions in late December, causing a large number of Kurds to flee and leading DAANES to accuse the government of committing war crimes. In response, officials initiated negotiations that culminated in the new agreement, aimed at granting the Syrian federal government a monopoly on violence and addressing fears of potential genocide against the Kurdish population.
Despite portraying himself as an advocate for inclusion and rights for diverse groups, including Kurds, Druze, Christians, and Alawites, Shara’a’s actions seem contradictory. His government seeks to implement an Islamist constitution, which somewhat undermines his stated goals of inclusivity, particularly since he insists on the presidency being held by a Muslim.
The SDF and Syrian government confirmed the agreement on Sunday. According to Kurdish media, it initiates an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” between the SDF and government forces, laying out major concessions from the SDF. These include transferring the SDF-controlled areas in Deir Ezzor and Raqqa, as well as al-Hasakah, under government authority, essentially marking the SDF’s end as it previously existed. Notably, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa are outside the traditional boundaries of Rojava, or Syrian Kurdistan, having been taken by Kurdish forces during the fight against Islamic State.
Under the new terms, the government will assume central control of oil fields currently managed by the Kurds and the prison housing thousands of Islamic State militants since the liberation of Raqqa.
The agreement indicates that the SDF will integrate into Syria’s Ministry of Defense and Interior, with government roles created for its fighters following security assessments. Those associated with the Assad regime within the SDF will be removed from the force.
In return, the Shara’a regime pledged to withdraw most troops from the besieged Kurdish city of Kobani, recognize the Kurdish language, permit its teaching in local schools, and consider nominations for critical positions from the SDF. Shara’a also reportedly aims to facilitate the return of displaced Kurds.
SDF commander General Mazloum Abdi plans to meet with Shara in Damascus. He acknowledged signing the agreement and expressed a desire to halt the violence in Aleppo.
Abdi remarked, “This war was imposed on us…to avert this and prevent further senseless bloodshed, we agreed to withdraw from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa to Hasakah. An agreement was signed in this regard.” He emphasized a commitment to protect the achievements of the revolution and the interests of their people while maintaining the region’s unique character.
However, just a day later, reports surfaced that Shara’a-aligned jihadist forces were still attacking the Kurds. The Northern News Agency (NPA) reported ongoing violent clashes between the SDF and government forces near Al Akhtan Prison in Raqqa. The SDF voiced concerns about the dangerous nature of these confrontations, warning that continued attacks could have severe consequences.
