Syria
UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen (left) and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi (right). Photos: AFP. Graphic: Rudaw
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Friday welcomed recent remarks from the United Nations envoy to Syria supporting talks between the SDF and the new administration in Damascus.
“We welcome UN Envoy @GeirOPedersen statements and support efforts toward a successful political transition,” said Abdi in a post on X, referring to Geir Pedersen’s comments to journalists in Damascus on Wednesday.
"We need to give the negotiations between the caretaker authorities and the SDF a chance,” Pedersen said, adding “We are hopeful that we will now allow the two parties enough time to be able to move forward so that this does not end in a full military confrontation that cannot serve the interests of the Syrian people.”
The SDF and the new administration in Damascus are discussing the future of the force and its potential integration into the country’s new security apparatus, as well as the fate of the northeast of the country, which has been under Kurdish administration for more than a decade.
Abdi said the matter “requires a well-thought-out approach that paves the way for a comprehensive national vision and leads to a united Syria that reflects its diversity, guarantees fair representation, and secures justice and equality for all.”
After meeting with Abdi earlier this month, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said the new Syrian army would include the SDF. Abdi has expressed readiness for integration of his force into a national military, if both sides agree on a formula.
The SDF controls about a third of the country, and includes Kurdish, Arab, Christian, and all-female divisions in its ranks.
Sharaa’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime with the help of other rebel groups on December 8, has not clashed with the SDF, who has said they do not seek conflict with the new administration.
“Communication channels with Damascus remain intensively open and active and the stances are unified emphasizing dialogue and the development of solutions to any field or political issues,” the SDF said on Thursday.
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