Middle East
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (left) being received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 14, 2023. File photo: Lam Duc Hilen/Submitted
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French President Emmanuel Macron has thanked Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani for his “mediation efforts” in brokering a ceasefire aimed at ending armed clashes between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and armed groups affiliated with Damascus in northeastern Syria, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.
“Continuing France’s diplomatic exchanges and efforts, the President of the Republic has again spoken in recent days with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as well as with General Mazloum Abdi and the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, whom he thanks for his mediation efforts, in order to coordinate our efforts for a lasting solution, in the interest of the entire region, but also for the security of Europeans and Americans,” the statement said.
The renewed diplomatic push comes as the security situation in Syria has sharply deteriorated in recent weeks.
Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups have advanced into areas previously held by the SDF in eastern Aleppo, as well as parts of Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province, raising fears of wider confrontation and instability.
A ceasefire agreement signed earlier this month, intended to integrate SDF structures into state institutions, has proven fragile and has been repeatedly violated. Each breakdown has renewed fears not only of further displacement, but also of broader instability, including threats to ISIS detention facilities and the potential resurgence of the group.
On Tuesday, the Syrian presidency announced that Damascus and the SDF had reached a “mutual understanding” on several issues, agreeing to grant the SDF a four-day consultation period to develop a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating areas under its control.
The presidency added that, should an agreement be reached, Syrian government forces would not enter the centers of the predominantly Kurdish cities of Hasaka and Qamishli in Rojava, instead remaining on their outskirts.
Despite the agreement, the SDF said in a statement on Thursday that “simultaneously with the shelling of al-Aqtan prison, which houses ISIS militants, these factions targeted the outskirts of the town of Sarrin and attacked the village of Khrouss, south of Kobane, using heavy weapons and artillery.”
The French presidency said a permanent ceasefire is needed to guarantee the unity of Syria.
“This solution implies a permanent ceasefire and the implementation of the January 18 agreement on a basis that guarantees the unity of Syria and respect for all its components, and in particular its Kurdish population,” the statement added.
The French presidency further noted that “the political, administrative, military, and economic integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces is an objective that France pursues and supports, but it cannot be achieved by force or in disregard of the safety of civilian populations in Kobani or Hasaka.”
It stressed that the ceasefire remains extremely fragile and that avoiding a renewed escalation is essential.
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