ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syria’s seven-year civil war and Turkey’s incursion into Afrin has the town of Manbij on high alert. But despite constant threats and siege-like conditions, residents say life must continue as normal.
“Thanks to Allah the circumstances are good,” one resident told Rudaw. “There is movement amongst the people. We spend our days in cafeterias smoking hookah. The bazaar is very busy. The situation is very good.”
External threats from the Syrian regime and armed opposition groups have taken their toll on the free movement of trade. Traders describe the difficulty of importing goods and commodities.
“Movement in the market is acceptable. It is not solely the political conditions that affect movement in the market. The situation of the agriculture has also affected the market. This year the situation was like this. We hope it will improve so that the market improves,” one trader told Rudaw.
Alongside the inhabitants of the city there are thousands of refugees from southern and central Syria. These refugees are threatened with displacement yet again.
Following the Turkish Army’s occupation of Afrin earlier this year, the Turkish government said its next target is Manbij. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government is prepared to conduct an operation to drive out the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which control the area.
Operation Olive Branch began on January 20 when Turkish forces launched a military incursion into the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwest Syria. Turkey believes the ruling Kurdish groups in Rojava are “terrorists,” a charge the groups deny.
The US has roughly 2,000 troops stationed in Manbij supporting its SDF allies, where it runs special operations against ISIS. Turkey has demanded its NATO ally withdraw its forces and stop arming and supporting the SDF.
Talks between America, France, Russia, and Turkey over the fate of the Rojava town are ongoing.
“Movement in the market is acceptable. It is not solely the political conditions that affect movement in the market. The situation of the agriculture has also affected the market. This year the situation was like this. We hope it will improve so that the market improves,” one trader told Rudaw.
Alongside the inhabitants of the city there are thousands of refugees from southern and central Syria. These refugees are threatened with displacement yet again.
“The rich lead good lives. The poor and the impoverished are suffering. Thanks to Allah work is good, but the conditions of the refugees are very bad. In the market the condition of refugees are very bad, but thanks to Allah there is movement in the market,” a laborer told Rudaw.
Following the Turkish Army’s occupation of Afrin earlier this year, the Turkish government said its next target is Manbij. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government is prepared to conduct an operation to drive out the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which control the area.
Operation Olive Branch began on January 20 when Turkish forces launched a military incursion into the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwest Syria. Turkey believes the ruling Kurdish groups in Rojava are “terrorists,” a charge the groups deny.
The US has roughly 2,000 troops stationed in Manbij supporting its SDF allies, where it runs special operations against ISIS. Turkey has demanded its NATO ally withdraw its forces and stop arming and supporting the SDF.
Talks between America, France, Russia, and Turkey over the fate of the Rojava town are ongoing.
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