ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi on Wednesday received the committee formed by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss the implementation of a landmark deal signed between the SDF and Damascus. The agreement aims to integrate the Kurdish-led forces into Syria’s state institutions.
The SDF is the de-facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava).
Abdi and Sharaa in early March agreed to “integrate all civil and military institutions” in Rojava “under the administration of the Syrian state, including border crossings, the [Qamishli International] Airport, and oil and gas fields.”
The deal emphasized that “the Kurdish community is indigenous to the Syrian state, which ensures this community’s right to citizenship and all of its constitutional rights” and urged for a “ceasefire to be implemented across all Syrian territories.”
A Wednesday statement by the SDF noted that the meeting “extensively focused on the necessity of implementing a ceasefire across all Syrian territories.”
It further saw discussions on the mechanisms to implement the provisions of the landmark deal and on joint works of committees from both sides that is expected to begin next April.
Ali Rahmoun, the deputy co-chair of the SDF’s political wing the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), had explained to Rudaw last week that the SDF would establish various administrative, economic, legal, and military committees to oversee the implementation of the deal's various aspects.
The meeting also addressed the recently-issued constitutional declaration and the importance of ensuring the participation of all Syrian components in shaping Syria's future.
Last Thursday, Sharaa had signed the 53-article constitutional declaration that centers on Islamic jurisprudence, stipulates that the country’s president must be a Muslim, and sets a five-year transitional period of the country. It also maintains the name of the country as the Syrian “Arab” Republic.
The interim constitution grants Sharaa exclusive executive power, including the authority to form a government, appoint one-third of the legislature and judges to the constitutional court, which is the body that could hold him accountable.
The declaration has faced widespread criticism, particularly from Syria’s Kurdish, Christian, Druze, and Yazidi communities.
The SDC’s Deputy Co-chair Afram Ishak told Rudaw on Monday that the declaration “falls short of meeting the aspirations of the Syrian people in all its constituents” and requires for “fundamental amendments” before being adopted as a permanent constitution.
