The Syrian government announced a nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after two weeks of clashes, along with plans to unify forces into one and to guarantee Kurdish rights.
Syrian state media reported that the government has declared an immediate nationwide ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which will result in the government regaining control over nearly the entire country.
This ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and is part of a broader 14-point agreement that includes the integration of SDF forces into the Syrian army and government institutions.
President Ahmed al-Shara stated in Damascus that the agreement will enable Syrian government institutions to regain control over three eastern and northern provinces: al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor, and Raqqa.
The announcement followed talks between al-Shara and Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, in Damascus. Barrack praised the deal as an important step toward a “unified Syria.”
The SDF, led by Kurdish groups, established a self-administration during Syria’s civil war nearly 10 years ago, strongly supported by the United States, which supplied weapons and training to the SDF as a key ally against the Islamic State (ISIS) armed group.
With U.S. military backing, the SDF expelled ISIS from most of northeastern Syria, governing areas populated by both Kurds and predominantly Arab communities.
Under the agreement signed by al-Shara and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings, and oil and natural gas resources, which have been vital to sustaining Kurdish self-rule.
Military and security personnel from the SDF will be integrated into Syria’s Ministries of Defense and Interior following vetting, while the Damascus government will assume responsibility for prisons and camps holding tens of thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
Additionally, the Damascus government reaffirmed its commitment to protect Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting Kurdish official language status and recognizing the Kurdish New Year as a national holiday—marking the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria gained independence from France in 1946.
This agreement follows months of stalled negotiations to merge forces and comes after Syrian government troops advanced into Raqqa and nearby oil fields following the SDF’s withdrawal early last Sunday morning.
Last week, al-Shara stated that it was unacceptable for an armed group to control one quarter of the country and hold exclusive control over oil resources and key national commodities.
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Source:bbc