Syrian Presidency Statement on the SDF and the March Agreement

Translation and Overview

Although the Syrian presidency, headed by Ahmad and al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) came to an agreement in March through American mediation and pressure, the implementation of that agreement is easier said than done. On paper, the agreement pointed to concessions by the SDF in which it would basically merge into the post-Assad Syrian central state. Practically, however, the agreement raised many questions about implementation. For example, would the agreement mean the SDF and its ‘Autonomous Administration’ should cease to exist entirely?

While some progress has been made in the direction suggested by the agreement, such as the withdrawal of most SDF forces from Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo city and the handing of primary responsibility for those neighbourhoods to the new central government, the reality is that within the SDF’s core territories in the north and east of the country, little has changed on a daily basis. The SDF’s ‘Autonomous Administration’- dominated by the PKK-linked ‘Democratic Union Party’ and its armed wing called the People’s Protection Units (YPG)- still holds resources such as oil fields and bearing responsibility for administration in daily life. Moreover, it is plausible that the SDF’s leadership still hopes that the new central government will eventually make a concession on the lines of federalism and de-centralisation. Finally, amid the rumours of a planned U.S. withdrawal, the SDF appears to have been lobbying the Trump administration to reconsider such plans.

It is in this context that one should understood the new statement issued by the Syrian Presidency, expressing concern regarding the SDF and progress on the March agreement. The most notable points of the statement: