The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, is holding a meeting with Syrian authorities in Damascus on Sunday to discuss the integration of his fighters into the Syrian army, according to a statement issued by his forces, following the expiration of a deadline for implementing an agreement signed by both sides months ago.
اضافة اعلان
The agreement, signed by Abdi and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara on March 10, included several provisions, foremost among them the integration of civil and military institutions affiliated with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration into national institutions by the end of the year. However, differences in viewpoints between the two parties have prevented progress in its implementation, despite pressure primarily led by Washington.
The SDF, which is led by the Kurds, stated in a Sunday morning release: “A delegation from the SDF leadership is currently meeting with officials from the Damascus government in the Syrian capital,” headed by Abdi, “as part of discussions concerning the process of military integration.”
Last month, a Kurdish official told Agence France-Presse that the SDF had received a written proposal from Damascus, stipulating “the integration of its forces into the Syrian army, with divisions into three units and a number of brigades, including a women’s brigade,” which would be deployed in areas under their control in northeastern Syria and managed by their leadership.
A few days later, on December 22, Foreign Minister Asaad Sheibani announced that Damascus had received a response from the Kurdish forces to the proposal drafted by the Ministry of Defense.
Over the past period, the two sides have exchanged accusations of sabotaging efforts to implement the agreement, sparking limited clashes that resulted in fatalities, most recently in the city of Aleppo (in the north).
Damascus has accused the Kurds of delaying the agreement’s implementation. Two weeks ago, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking from Damascus, urged the Kurdish forces “not to become an obstacle to Syria’s territorial unity and stability.”
Ankara, which carried out several attacks against Kurdish forces between 2016 and 2019, had warned that the SDF’s partners “were beginning to lose patience.”
The SDF controls large areas in northern and eastern Syria, which include the most significant oil and gas fields.
The SDF and the security forces it gradually built over the years of conflict in its areas of influence comprise nearly 100,000 personnel, according to Abdi.
