Description: Syria’s President, Ahmed Al Sharaa, while addressing the nation has stated that his government was aiming at upholding provisions of the agreement from Mar with the Kurdish SDF (Syrian Defense Forces) and their territorial integration in Syria’s state borders. The SDF and Sharaa’s government signed a reconciliation agreement in Mar, which stimulated the integration of SDF controlled territories in the northeast parts of the country under government control and the accession of SDF troops into Syria’s military forces. SDF, a US – backed militant group, currently controls large parts of the country’s oil – rich northeast regions and its one of the organizations which have previously called for Syria’s decentralization of power.
Impact: The fragmented state of the Kurdish – led movements in the region as well as several fractions with the SDF itself poses a significant risk towards upholding the provisions of the agreement signed between Al Sharaa’s government and the SDF in Mar. Syria has experienced a violent upsurge in ethnic targeted attacks, where the Druze and the Alawites fell victim to the persecution of the government forces which reinforced separatist sentiments within ethnic minorities in the country. Syria’s incumbent government has shown its incompetence through the violent suppression of ethnic minorities such as the Druze and the Alawites which would make convincing the Kurdish SDF towards integration all the more difficult. With the support from the US, the SDF, in the long – term is expected to agree towards its direct incorporation in Syria’s socio – economic and security system. Prolonging SDF’s involvement would prompt further destabilization of the country and incentivize separatist movements within the minority ethnic groups.