Concerns grow over the integration of Kurdish militia amid plans for a national dialogue following the end of dictatorship in Syria.
**Tensions Rise as Syrian Leaders Urge Kurdish Militia to Disarm**
**Tensions Rise as Syrian Leaders Urge Kurdish Militia to Disarm**
New Damascus administration pressures U.S.-backed Kurdish forces to integrate into national military.
The interim government in Damascus is intensifying pressure on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a powerful Kurdish-led militia supported by the United States, to disarm and unify under a national military structure. With the formation of a caretaker administration poised to replace the recently fallen dictatorship, the new leaders are insisting that integration into a national dialogue hinges on the SDF relinquishing its arms.
Hassan al-Daghim, chair of the committee established to oversee the political discussions, stated, “Armed groups will not be included unless they lay down their arms and integrate under the Ministry of Defense. This is a fundamental issue.” Such demands have raised fears that the Kurdish-controlled region in northeastern Syria, which operates autonomously, may be sidelined from the national talks entirely.
Despite past collaborations with U.S. forces, particularly in combating the Islamic State in Syria, the SDF remains steadfast in refusing to disarm. The group has held its ground since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, the country’s former dictator. The continuity of Islamic State operatives, even after their territorial defeat in 2019, remains a prevailing concern for global powers, particularly in the West.
As preparations for the forthcoming conference on Syria’s future proceed, there is no date set yet, and the prospect of ongoing tensions looms large even as the new leadership calls for a unified military response. The ongoing saga in Syria underscores the complex landscape of alliances and rivalries affecting both local and regional stability.
Hassan al-Daghim, chair of the committee established to oversee the political discussions, stated, “Armed groups will not be included unless they lay down their arms and integrate under the Ministry of Defense. This is a fundamental issue.” Such demands have raised fears that the Kurdish-controlled region in northeastern Syria, which operates autonomously, may be sidelined from the national talks entirely.
Despite past collaborations with U.S. forces, particularly in combating the Islamic State in Syria, the SDF remains steadfast in refusing to disarm. The group has held its ground since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, the country’s former dictator. The continuity of Islamic State operatives, even after their territorial defeat in 2019, remains a prevailing concern for global powers, particularly in the West.
As preparations for the forthcoming conference on Syria’s future proceed, there is no date set yet, and the prospect of ongoing tensions looms large even as the new leadership calls for a unified military response. The ongoing saga in Syria underscores the complex landscape of alliances and rivalries affecting both local and regional stability.
