Syria
Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) Photo: Hussein Malla/AP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior Kurdish-led northeast Syria (Rojava) administration official on Sunday thanked the US and France for backing Syria’s political process but voiced concern over hate speech and treason accusations after Washington’s envoy criticized Kurdish-led forces for slow integration and rejected federalism.
“We appreciate the continued support of United States and France for a political solution in Syria, and their contribution to bringing Syrians together. However, we view with concern the escalation of hate speech and accusations of treason by official bodies,” Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), said on X.
On Wednesday, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack told Rudaw that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been “slow” in negotiating with the Syrian government, asserting that federalism in Syria “doesn’t work.”
“There is only one road, and that road is to Damascus,” Barrack said.
Ahmad did not explicitly refer to Barrack’s remarks, but the comments have sparked outrage among Kurds on social media.
“We count on a constructive role that strengthens dialogue, not weakens it,” she said.
The Damascus administration also issued a statement rejecting federalism and calling on the SDF to integrate into state institutions following the US envoy’s remarks.
The SDF is the de facto army of Rojava - the Kurdish-controlled northeast region of Syria. During the civil war, Kurds established an autonomous administration, carving out large swathes of territory ceded by former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, they have been in talks with the interim government in Damascus to integrate into national institutions, including the armed forces.
Kurds are also concerned about the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by Syria’s interim government. They have called for federalism and repeatedly denied that they seek to divide the country.
In March, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a deal with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions into those of the state. The two sides have continued discussions to implement the agreement.
“We appreciate the continued support of United States and France for a political solution in Syria, and their contribution to bringing Syrians together. However, we view with concern the escalation of hate speech and accusations of treason by official bodies,” Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), said on X.
On Wednesday, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack told Rudaw that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been “slow” in negotiating with the Syrian government, asserting that federalism in Syria “doesn’t work.”
“There is only one road, and that road is to Damascus,” Barrack said.
Ahmad did not explicitly refer to Barrack’s remarks, but the comments have sparked outrage among Kurds on social media.
“We count on a constructive role that strengthens dialogue, not weakens it,” she said.
The Damascus administration also issued a statement rejecting federalism and calling on the SDF to integrate into state institutions following the US envoy’s remarks.
The SDF is the de facto army of Rojava - the Kurdish-controlled northeast region of Syria. During the civil war, Kurds established an autonomous administration, carving out large swathes of territory ceded by former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, they have been in talks with the interim government in Damascus to integrate into national institutions, including the armed forces.
Kurds are also concerned about the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by Syria’s interim government. They have called for federalism and repeatedly denied that they seek to divide the country.
In March, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a deal with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to integrate Rojava’s civil and military institutions into those of the state. The two sides have continued discussions to implement the agreement.
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