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Mazloum Abdi Announces Steps for Handing Over Institutions to the Syrian Government
On Saturday, a comprehensive meeting was held in the city of Shaddadi, south of Hasakah, inside the American base. The meeting included leaders from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), representatives of the civil and military councils of Deir ez-Zor province, as well as a number of tribal elders and cultural figures from the region. The gathering was organized in two phases: first, a separate meeting of the Western Front delegation, followed by a meeting of the Eastern Front delegation.
The meeting was chaired by the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, and attended by prominent figures from the Autonomous Administration, including Fawza Yousif, Hassan Zohat, and Yasser Abbas Al-Sulaiman. The discussions focused on the future of Deir ez-Zor province, which has been under SDF control for years, amidst increasing political, security, and social complexities in the region.
In his statement, Mazloum Abdi affirmed that the Syrian Democratic Forces do not intend to dissolve the autonomous administration or fully hand over their regions. He clarified that any rapprochement with the Syrian government would be conditional, primarily maintaining the structure of the autonomous administration and integrating the forces within agreed-upon arrangements. Notably, Abdi announced that there is a plan to start a series of meetings with the Syrian government in the coming days, aiming to transfer the institutions, including military institutions, starting with Deir ez-Zor, followed by Raqqa and Hasakah.
These statements represent a shift in the political stance of the SDF towards Damascus, following an agreement signed with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is seen as a step towards reconfiguring relations between the central government and other parties in the country, especially in the areas of eastern Syria. This development comes amid escalating tensions in the region, with popular protests demanding the participation of local residents in political and military decision-making, alongside ongoing security tensions in Deir ez-Zor.
In a related development, Kurdish sources revealed yesterday the postponement of a planned meeting in Paris between officials from the Syrian government and a delegation from the Autonomous Administration, upon the request of the international coalition, which formally communicated this decision to the Syrian Democratic Forces. The sources attributed the postponement to concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Suwayda province, as well as the Syrian government’s weak performance and its inability to maintain control over the southern regions and Syria overall.
