Syria's president signs deal to unite forces with Kurdish-led SDF

Photo : AP

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is supported by the United States, signed a deal with Syria’s government on Monday. This agreement allows areas in northeast Syria, controlled by the SDF, to become part of Syria’s new administration. Photos from the meeting in Damascus showed Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi shaking hands after signing the deal.

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This deal comes at a very important time for Sharaa. He is trying to bring peace to Syria after 14 years of war. But recent violence in western Syria has made his job harder. Many people from the Alawite minority have been killed in attacks. On Monday, Sharaa warned that these killings could make it more difficult to unite the country.

In December, rebels removed former President Bashar al-Assad from power. Assad, who is also from the Alawite minority, ran away to Russia, a country that has supported him for a long time.

According to the new agreement, some important places in eastern Syria will now be controlled by the government in Damascus. These include border crossings, an airport, and oil and gas fields. However, the deal does not explain how the SDF’s fighters will be added to Syria’s army. This has been a big problem in past talks.

After signing the deal, Abdi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that this is a "real chance to build a new Syria." He said the SDF and the government will work together to bring peace and fairness to the country. The agreement is expected to be fully put into action by the end of the year.

A key part of the deal is that the SDF must fight against people who still support Assad. The new government in Damascus says Assad’s supporters are trying to create problems in western Syria. The region has become very unsafe in the last few days. Since Thursday, many civilians have been killed in Alawite villages. The government has sent soldiers to stop what it calls a "rebellion."

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly criticized the killings. Some experts believe the violence has made Sharaa look weaker, both inside Syria and in his relations with the U.S. Researcher Aron Lund from the U.S. think tank Century International said this agreement may help Sharaa show that he is not against all minorities in Syria. However, he also said the terms of the deal are not fully clear.

For Abdi and the SDF, this agreement is a way to stay safe in case the U.S. suddenly removes its soldiers from Syria. The U.S. has helped the SDF fight the Islamic State for many years. But there are fears that President Donald Trump may change his mind and pull American troops out of Syria.

One of the biggest arguments in the talks was about how the SDF would join the Syrian army. Abdi wanted the SDF to be added as a single group, not as separate fighters. But the government did not agree to this.

For a long time, the SDF has been fighting against armed groups in northern Syria that are backed by Turkey. These battles have not stopped, even after Assad lost power. This shows that Syria is still facing a lot of problems.