Kurdish-led SDF to Merge with Syrian Army (Trepidation Remains)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The sudden demise of former President Bashar al-Assad in Syria took the world by surprise. His demise witnessed the complete capitulation of the armed forces of Syria after the forces of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other Sunni Islamist forces – some backed by NATO Turkey – took the reins of power in Damascus.
Mazloum Abdi (General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces – SDF) recently said, “The Syrian government must act as a true representative of all segments of society, ensuring justice and equality for everyone.”
Since then, the Kurds have continued to be attacked by NATO Turkey and its proxies. Also, over 150 Alawites (a minority Muslim sect in Syria) have been killed. This includes the murder of Alawite clerics. At the same time, a few Christians have been killed – and attacks against Churches have also happened by Sunni Islamists.
However, despite the complete differences between the Islamists of the HTS and secular-minded Kurdish forces, it was announced that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had accepted the integration of its forces into the Syrian Army.
Voice of America reports, “The International Coalition against ISIS has expressed its support for the dialogue between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the new Syrian government. On Monday, the SDF, the Autonomous Administration, and the Syrian Democratic Council decided in a meeting that SDF will join the Syrian army.”
Mahmoud Habib, spokesperson for the Northern Democratic Forces (operates under the SDF umbrella), recently said the SDF “defeated ISIS and restored security in large swathes of Syria’s geography…(this) accumulated experience will serve as a significant asset to the future Syrian army.”
Pointedly, Habib said that “a significant mélange of Arab, Assyrian, Kurdish, Syriac, and Turkmen” are fighting under the aegis of the SDF. Hence, these diverse ethnic forces can “reassure the population and local communities in Syria.”
Habib continued, “Many ethnic and religious groups in Syria welcome the SDF and are more accepting of them, as they can enforce peace and security without discrimination or violence.”
Enab Baladi reports, “Since the arrival of the new Syrian administration in Damascus, there have been attempts to regain control of the areas under SDF control, which constitute about 25% of Syrian territory and are the richest areas in Syria in terms of resources.”
The New Arab says, “The agreement is also believed to involve the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, commonly known as ‘Rojava,’ which is the civil authority that rules SDF-held areas of Syria.”
The integration of Kurdish-led forces – and the institutions of Rojava – into institutions that come under the Syrian government are part of the complex deal. This concerns the creation of joint committees to usher in the agreement.
It remains to be seen if Alawites, Christians, the Druze, Islamists, Kurds, secularists, and others can be accommodated into a new Syria under the Islamist-led government.
Accordingly, despite the agreement, trepidation remains given not only the internal dynamics of Syria – but also because of external dynamics. This notably includes Turkey, international Islamists (who may splinter), and other external intrigues if sectarianism continues.
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