UN says integration of all Syrian security forces ‘critical’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday reiterated the need for all security forces to be integrated into the new Syrian army, labeling the process as “critical.”

“The integration of all security forces in Syria is critical. And as we've said repeatedly, we hope that discussions between the government and various factions will move ahead. It is important for the unity of Syria, and it is also important for the continued fight against extremism and terrorism,” Stephane Dujarric told Rudaw during a press briefing. 

An agreement was signed between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in March that included many points, one of which was the integration of all civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the new government in Damascus. 

While this deal marks an important step forward for new Syria, the recent surge of sectarian violence in Syria’s Druze south and Alawite coastal areas, involving pro-Damascus forces, is raising alarm among Kurds in northeast Syria (Rojava), who fear similar unrest if the SDF, which acts as Rojava’s de facto army, dissolves. 

“Each side interprets this [integration] differently. Our definition of integration is that it must entail mutual recognition. That means that the Damascus government must recognise us as we accept them,” Elham Ahmad, foreign relations co-chair of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) told Rudaw on July 28.

The SDF played a pivotal role in the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2019 and continues to hold thousands of ISIS fighters in detention.