Syria, SDF agree ceasefire and integration deal
According to Syrian state media, the Syrian government declared an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and took control of almost the entire country.
The ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and forms part of a broader 14-point agreement that will integrate the SDF into Syria’s military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Shara said the agreement would allow Syrian state institutions to regain control over three governorates in the east and north – Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa.
The announcement came after a meeting in Damascus between Al Shara and the US special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack. Barrack praised the agreement as a step towards a “united Syria.”
Al Shara said that SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting, but was unable to travel due to weather conditions and his visit was postponed until Monday.
Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration nearly a decade ago during the Syrian civil war, with strong support from the United States, which has armed and trained the SDF as its main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group (ISIS).
The SDF, with US military support, drove ISIS out of much of northeastern Syria and continued to govern both Kurdish and Arab-majority areas.
According to the agreement signed by Al Shara and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings and oil and gas fields that support Kurdish self-government.
SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria’s defense and interior ministries after review, while Damascus will take responsibility for prisons and detention camps housing tens of thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
Damascus also reiterated its promise to recognize the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurds, including giving Kurdish official language status and celebrating the Kurdish New Year as a national holiday; this was the first official recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.
The agreement also confirms Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against ISIS.
The agreement followed months of negotiations after previous integration efforts failed and followed the relocation of Syrian government forces to Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following the SDF withdrawal early Sunday.
Al-Sharaa said last week that it was unacceptable that the militias controlled a quarter of the country and held the main sources of oil and commodities.
