In a significant development, the Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking the end of nearly two weeks of intense fighting. The ceasefire is part of a broader 14-point agreement that will see the SDF integrated into Syria’s military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that the deal would allow Syrian state institutions to reassert control over three eastern and northern governorates – al-Hassakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa. This follows a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in the capital, with Barrack praising the agreement as a step towards a “unified Syria.”
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but was unable to travel due to weather conditions, with his visit postponed until Monday, according to al-Sharaa.
In a televised address, Abdi confirmed the meeting and said he would share more details about the agreement with Syria’s Kurds after returning from the capital. Speaking on Kurdish television channel Ronahi, he stated that the deal he had agreed to with Damascus included a ceasefire to avoid a broader war, stressing that the fighting had been “imposed” on the SDF.
Under the agreement, signed by al-Sharaa and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings, and oil and gas fields that have underpinned Kurdish self-rule. SDF military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria’s defence and interior ministries following vetting, while Damascus will assume responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding tens of thousands of foreign ISIS fighters and their families.
Damascus also reiterated pledges to recognise Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including giving the Kurdish language official status and marking the Kurdish new year as a national holiday – the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence from France in 1946.
The deal follows months of stalled negotiations after a previous integration effort failed and comes after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following an SDF withdrawal earlier on Sunday. Al-Sharaa had stated last week that it was unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and hold its main oil and commodities resources.
The agreement also reaffirms Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group, a key concern for the Kurdish-led forces.
