Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Photo: Screenshot/Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations called on the Syrian government to resolve its issues through dialogue with Kurdish authorities in the country's northeast, amid growing tensions between the two sides.
The UN encourages "the Syrian government to continue engaging in discussions with other political forces in Syria to bring the country together,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told Rudaw's Namo Abdullah on Thursday.
"We are of course concerned any time there continues to be internal clashes in Syria," he said, adding it is the responsibility of Damascus to "ensure that all Syrians are represented and feel safe."
Tensions are high between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and armed groups claimed to be associated with Damascus in regions where the Kurdish-led force holds sway.
The SDF on Thursday announced they repelled "infiltration attempts and artillery attacks" from groups "affiliated with the Damascus government" in eastern Aleppo, hours after the Syrian defense ministry accused the SDF of attacking residential areas in the area and killing two civilians.
The flare-up is straining an integration deal signed in March by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi. They agreed to fold the SDF into the state military structure, recognize the Kurds as an integral part of Syria, implement a nationwide ceasefire, and enable the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns.
Talks on implementing the agreement have stalled for several reasons, including the SDF insisting on joining the Syrian army as a unit while Damascus wants them to do so as individuals.
Backed by the United States, the SDF functions as the de facto military force in the Kurdish-majority northeast Syria (Rojava). It remains a key partner of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
"I would like to see the Kurdish people and the Kurdish governments be a partner with the United States in all kinds of endeavors, and that includes the counterterrorism fight which is absolutely crucial," Christopher Costa, former special assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council in the White House, told Rudaw.
US Senator Mark Warner said he was "very concerned" about Kurds in Syria and other minority groups such as Christians, as he expressed worry about how Damascus would approach them after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
"I think the fact that Assad is gone is good for the region, good for the world, but we also know there is a large Kurdish population in Syria, and I am concerned with the new Syrian government," Warner told Rudaw's Diyar Kurda on Wednesday.
Namo Abdullah contributed to this article
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