In a significant change for the post-Assad period, the Syrian authorities have declared an all-encompassing ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In the aftermath of a month of heavy military tension and government incursion into eastern Aleppo, President Ahmad al-Sharaa put the deal into effect in Damascus.
The SDF has not yet made any public communication, but the accord provides a plan for the complete merging of the SDF into the national army.
This outcome is in line with the recent actions of the government, which took over the control of crucial lands in the Deir el-Zour and Raqqa provinces, areas that are otherwise considered the battleground of power struggles.
Territorial Sovereignty
This ruling primarily deals with the immediate handing over of territorial authority and essential facilities to the central government. The SDF is to give up the control of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour provinces under the agreement, thereby transferring the Euphrates River dams, international crossings, and pipeline and gas areas to the Syrian government.
Besides, the Hassakah region will be returning its civilian administration to the government, but one of the most delicate aspects is the transfer of security control over the prisons and camps that hold the Islamic State prisoners.
By joining these areas, the government hopes to repair the divided landscape of the past ten years and, at the same time, put the country’s most important natural resources under a common federal rule.
Military Integration
The agreement goes beyond territorial and resource matters to provide for a systematic military integration of the SDF through which SDF will no longer be an independent body. The units that are presently part of the Kurdish-led coalition will be merging into the military and security structure of the national government of Syria.
In order to keep the politics on the side of the government and to have a stable situation during the transition, high-level SDF military and civilian directors are going to be given important positions in the government corporate. U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack, who served as a mediator between President al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, termed the merger as a “pivotal inflection point.”
This conjoined stance is aimed at putting an end to the internal rivalry that has lasted for years and is thus signaling a change from armed confrontation to a mutual national defense strategy.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
