Syrian President Ahmed al-Shalah is scheduled to meet with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi in a bid to cement a ceasefire after days of fighting between the military and government-allied tribal forces that have swept across northern Syria from Aleppo to Raqqa.
Monday’s meeting, postponed from Sunday due to bad weather, comes in the wake of a dramatic escalation in which Syrian government forces retake large swaths of territory in the northeast, forcing the SDF to accept a cease-fire and a broad agreement that places Kurdish civilian and military authorities under central state control.
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Abdi, also known as Mazloum Kobani, said in a televised speech on Sunday that the conflict had been planned by multiple parties and imposed on the SDF, announcing his acceptance of the ceasefire declared and signed by al-Shara in front of cameras. He said he would outline the terms of the agreement after returning from Damascus.
Al Jazeera’s Ayman Oganna, reporting from Damascus, said the ceasefire agreement sparked an outpouring of public joy in the capital.
“Last night, after the deal was signed, there were huge celebrations in the streets. There were fireworks, cars honked their horns and people danced in the streets,” Oganna said.
He added that many people “expressed a sense of relief and cautious joy, but some were skeptical” after weeks of desperate struggle.
Oganna said the skepticism reflected concerns that the ceasefire might not hold in the country, which has been plagued by nearly 14 years of devastating civil war.
Although there are doubts, national sentiment seems to be dominated by exhaustion. “Everyone I spoke to here in Damascus, including many Syrian Kurds, just wanted a peaceful solution,” he said, adding that Syrians were “exhausted by the conflict and wanted a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis in the north.”
Economic hardship now looms large. “Everyone we spoke to was worried about their pocketbooks and the economy,” Oganna said, noting that “90% of Syrians live below the poverty line,” adding that she hoped the calm would allow them to focus on recovery.
“Transforming military operations into civilian police”
Abdi said the SDF’s withdrawal from Deir al-Zor and Raqqa to Hasakah was aimed at preventing further bloodshed and averting civil war.
He acknowledged that the Self-Defense Forces had suffered heavy losses, but said he would defend what he had gained.
SDF commander and head of the People’s Protection Units Sipan Hamo told Reuters the group was not seeking secession from Syria and sought assurances from the United States and other international parties. He denied receiving support from Iran or Russia, but said he wanted Israel to intervene on behalf of Syria’s Kurds.
The Syrian president’s office said the ceasefire would ensure the integration of SDF fighters into state institutions and the deployment of government officials to Raqqa, Deir al-Zor and Hasakah.
Mr. Al-Sharah said the agreement provides for the full integration of the SDF into the military and called on tribal forces to allow its implementation.
Asked by Al Jazeera about the implementation timeline and the fate of last March’s agreement, Al Sharah said the current agreement reflects the spirit of that agreement.
Reporting from Aleppo, Al Jazeera’s Zein Basrabi said attention has now shifted from the ceasefire announcement to how the Syrian state will govern the newly returned areas.
Basrabi said he hoped the meeting between al-Sharah and Abdi would clarify outstanding issues regarding “some of the ambiguities in this agreement.”
However, he stressed that the more immediate challenges lie on the ground. “There are practical aspects that the Syrian government will have to deal with in the next 24 hours and days. They got on the good side with this deal. They got everything they wanted,” Basrabi said.
He said government forces now have the upper hand and the burden is changing. “Now they have a role where they have to protect the ethnic minorities here,” especially as the region “moves from the front lines and now has to move back into the civilian space.”
Basrabi said this requires “transforming this military operation into a civilian police operation,” resisting retaliation and integrating the region economically with the rest of Syria.
Syria receives resource income
Middle East geopolitical analyst Joe McCarron, speaking from Beirut, Lebanon, said that if Syria regained control of its oil and gas resources, it could reshape the dynamics of the ceasefire and Damascus’s political influence.
“This is a major source of income. It was for the Self-Defense Forces,” McCarron said, adding that although the assets are now under state control, profits are not immediately available. “They have to secure it. They have to put in place the necessary infrastructure,” he said, stressing that revenue could ultimately support the reconstruction and mark “a new phase in some way.”
But Mr McCarron warned that the ceasefire was facing serious challenges. The biggest challenge is the integration of Japan Self-Defense Force fighter jets. “It is widely known that those who fought as part of the Self-Defense Forces are not only Kurds, but also foreign fighters,” he said, calling integration a major risk to the agreement.
He said the negotiations had changed decisively in favor of Damascus. “The dynamics of negotiations have changed,” McCarron said, noting that al-Sharaa now insists that fighters participate “as individuals after identifying themselves.”
Beyond the Kurdish region, Damascus has now inherited a complex tribal politics, Macaroon said. “This is their problem now,” he said, warning that the tribes’ demands could be a long-term test. “I think they will be tested in the future.”
On Sunday, Al-Shara met with US special envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus. Barak later wrote in X that the agreement marked a turning point, paving the way for new dialogue and cooperation towards a united Syria.
The United States, which maintains hundreds of troops in northern Syria, has placed particular emphasis on combating the resurgence of Islamic State (ISIS) in the region following a deadly attack on American soldiers and civilian contractors in Palmyra in December.
The United States launched a new “major” attack against ISIL in Syria last week following an ambush that killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter.
Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire on all fronts, saying it would provide a safe passage for civilians to return home and allow state institutions to resume operations.
The agreement follows a two-day Syrian military operation to retake key areas in the east and northeast after a previous agreement with the SDF collapsed.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also discussed the latest developments in the situation in Syria with al-Shara in a telephone conversation, and said that the Turkish government will continue to support Damascus.
“The complete elimination of terrorism from Syrian territory is necessary both for Syria and the entire region,” Erdogan told Al Shara, according to the Turkish presidential palace. President Turkiye has long opposed the SDF, considering it an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and labeling it a “terrorist” group.
