Syria: can new integration pact avert war on Rojava?
The Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached an agreement Jan. 18 to immediately halt fighting and integrate SDF-held areas into state institutions. The deal follows days of renewed clashes, in which government forces routed SDF strongholds in the city of Aleppo and then pushed east, taking several towns that had been under the control of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration. Just hours before the agreement was reached, autonomous authorities in the Kurdish region, known as Rojava, had announced a "general mobilization" in support of the SDF, citing an "existential war" launched by Damascus against their territory.
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the agreement was signed remotely with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, who was unable to come to Damascus due to bad weather. Earlier in the day, Sharaa met at the presidential palace with the US special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, who seems to have had a hand in brokering the agreement.
Key provisions of the agreement include the integration of SDF personnel "individually" into the Syrian Army rather than as a unified force, the full handover of SDF-held areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, and the integration of all institutions and employees of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North & East Syria (DAANES) into national ministries. The deal also establsihes the central state's control over all border crossings and energy resources, including oil and gas fields.
Implementation of a March 2025 integration agreement between Sharaa and the SDF/DAANES had stalled after the SDF pushed to be incorporated into the Army as a unified bloc, a demand rejected by Damascus.
Barrack said the US "looks forward to the seamless integration" of the SDF and the Syrian Army in the fight against ISIS.
The new agreement references and pledges to uphold a decree issued by al-Sharaa two days earlier guaranteeing cultural, linguistic and citizenship rights to Syria's Kurdish population.
Significantly, it also calls for the removal of the heavy military presence from the contested town of Kobani (Ain al-Arab), and the formation of a local security force drawn from the city's residents, under joint administration by municipal authorities and the Ministry of Interior.
The agreement also calls for transfer of massive detention camps for suspected ISIS collaborators from SDF control to that the Syrian government. (Rudaw)
Damascus gives Kurds four days to accept integration
Syria's central government on Jan. 20 announced a new ceasefire with Kurdish forces in the east, after the one annouced two days earlier had shortly broken down. But the new announcement set a four-day deadline for the SDF to accept the integration plan before state forces resume their advance on the beseiged SDF-controlled cities of Hasakah and Qamishli.
During the renewed fighting in Hasakah, some 200 detained ISIS militants escaped from the city's Shaddadi (al-Aqtan) prison. They have reportedly all since been captured by government forces.
US envoy Tom Barrack described the government's offer as the "greatest opportunity" the Kurds have. He added that the original purpose of the SDF, which Washington had supported as its main ground force in the battle against ISIS, has largely expired, and that the US has no long-term interest in retaining its presence in Syria. Trump added that Washington was still "trying to protect the Kurds." (SCMP, Rudaw)
A coalition of international Kurdish organizations has issued a call to action to "Defend Rojava." An alliance of Syrian Civil Society Organizations, both Arab and Kurdish, has issued a "Call for an Immediate Halt to the Military Escalation in Northeast Syria."
UN assumes responsibility for Syria detention camp
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, will take over management of Syria's al-Hol camp, which holds tens of thousands supposedly linked to ISIS, after Kurdish-led forces withdrew on Jan. 20 as Syrian government troops took control of much of the country's northeast. The agency is working with the Syrian authorities to restore humanitarian access following a spate of escapes and looting. The United States has launched a parallel initiative to transfer thousands of high-risk detainees from Syria to Iraq.
Many of al-Hol's detainees deny having IS ties, and most have not been charged with any crime, prompting accusations of collective punishment by rights groups.
A ceasefire agreement between Syrian government forces and the SDF came into effect on Jan. 20 following a lightning advance that saw the SDF lose large swathes of territory. During the ceasefire, Syrian forces also took control of al-Aqtan prison in the city of Raqqa, which houses alleged IS prisoners and had been at the center of a tense standoff with the SDF. More than 1,000 SDF personnel have reportedly withdrawn from Raqqa, heading in the direction of the Turkish border.
A joint statement from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned that the insecurity has led to reduced access and the suspension of critical services for 24,000 people at al-Hol, including 15,000 children. "For several days, there has been virtually no independent verification of conditions inside the camp, or a clear picture of the safety and wellbeing of its population," the statement said. (TNH)
Damascus-SDF ceasefire extended for 15 days
Syria's Defense Ministry on Jan. 24 announced a 15-day ceasefire extension between the Syrian Army and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) amid deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions in the northeast.
The ministry said the ceasefire would come into effect at 11 PM local time, three hours after the original ceasefire expired. The news came amid reports that the Army and SDF were mobilizing troops and engaging in tense standoffs in various locations across northeast Syria.
The Defense Ministry said the extension would support the US military to "evacuate ISIS detainees from SDF prisons to Iraq."
The SDF in a statement confirmed the agreement which was reached "through international mediation," saying that "dialogue with Damascus continues." The Kurdish-led force affirmed its "commitment to the agreement." (Rudaw)
Massacre of Kurdish family by Syrian government forces reported
Rudaw reports that an extended Kurdish family fleeing Raqqa for SDF-held Hasaka was waylaid at a checkpoint by pro-government forces on Jan. 18, and summarily executed—after being asked if they were Arabs or Kurds. At least six of the party of 12 were killed, including three children. The remainder managed to escape, although some were wounded.