Kobani After the SDF-Syrian Government Agreement: Interview

Update on the 'merger' process

Following the Syrian government’s offensive in January that took much of the territory held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the two sides- through U.S. mediation- subsequently came to a revised agreement on 29 January on terms that were largely favourable to the Syrian government, effectively stipulating the end of the SDF’s existence as an autonomous military and governing entity.

Such a line was reinforced recently by the spokesman for the central government’s team overseeing the merger process in Hasakah province- Ahmad al-Hilali (who previously served as a leading official for Ahrar al-Sham in the province)- in recent remarks to Syrian state TV channel al-Ikhbariya, focusing on the role of the SDF’s Asayish [internal security forces] in Hasakah province and the merger process for them (highlights in bold are my own):