The Syrian Democratic Forces is considering how to integrate its forces with the transitional government’s forces of Damascus. The Assad regime fell in December 2024, and since then, a new government has emerged in Damascus.
The Kurdish-led SDF, which was key to defeating ISIS, has sought to navigate the new Syria and how it might play a role in future security arrangements. The SDF is backed by the US.
In March, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi flew to Damascus, with backing from US Central Command, to discuss a road map for integrating the SDF into the new Syrian security forces.
In early March, US Central Command head Adm. Brad Cooper went to Damascus with US envoy Tom Barrack. It was the second high-profile visit by the CENTCOM chief.
He had met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the president of Syria, in September as well. Latifa al-Droubi, Sharaa’s wife, received Cooper’s wife, Susan, during the visit, according to Syrian media.
The SDF has not yet taken steps towards integration
Despite the visits, the SDF has not taken steps to integrate and, in fact, has continued to clash with Damascus-backed armed groups. This is partly, or mostly, the fault of Damascus.
However, the SDF still needs to try to see how it will integrate its forces. It has up to 100,000 armed fighters, many trained by the US over the last decade. They were trained to fight ISIS.
The SDF has many Kurdish officers, and Kurds in Syria are concerned that the new government may oppress them. This is especially true of the left-leaning PYD and its forces, the YPG, which are part of the SDF.
It is also true of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) leadership that governs eastern Syria.
The government of eastern Syria is primarily secular and left-leaning, and the SDF has similar values within its ranks, including having women fighters, which is in contrast to the HTS leaders in Damascus, who are more conservative Muslims and tend to be Arabs.
SDF leadership has reached a 'preliminary agreement'
SDF leader Abdi indicated over the last week that he has reached a “preliminary agreement” with Damascus on the integration of his forces into Syria’s military and security forces, Agence France-Presse said.
“While the Kurdish forces – who control large swaths of Syria’s oil-rich northeast – had signed an agreement with the new Syrian authorities in March to merge their civil and military institutions, the deal’s terms were not implemented,” the report noted. “What is new in our recent talks in Damascus is the shared determination and strong will to accelerate the implementation of the terms” of the agreement, Abdi told AFP.
“The most important point is having reached a preliminary agreement regarding the mechanism for integrating the SDF and the Internal Security Forces within the framework of the Defense and Interior ministries,” Abdi said. “We demand a decentralized system in Syria...we have not agreed on it,” he said. “We all agree that Syria should not return to the era of war, and that there should be stability and security. I believe these factors are sufficient for us to reach a permanent agreement.”
However, Abdi said some clauses should be added to the constitution. This would guarantee the rights of Kurds.
“What is new in our recent talks in Damascus is the shared determination and strong will to accelerate the implementation of the terms,” Abdi said. North Press News in eastern Syria also reported his comments. The SDF wants a decentralized governance system.
Abdi “affirmed that both sides agree on Syria’s territorial integrity, the unity of national symbols, and the need to prevent a return to war. Abdi also called for amending the current constitutional declaration to guarantee the rights of the Kurdish people,” the North Press report added. Abdi thanked the United States and France for supporting the talks with Damascus.