SDF-Damascus deal vital for Syria's future: Rojava's US rep

Rudaw Net

13-04-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus is an important step towards Syria's future, a northeast Syria (Rojava) representative to Washington told Rudaw, adding that the United States government is critical about the new Syrian authorities' history of extremism.
'The deal between the SDF and Damascus is important. First, to prevent another domestic conflict among Syrians—we oppose that. And second, to begin preparing a real solution for Syria's future. We know a military option cannot bring this solution,' said Sinam Mohammed, the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) representative to Washington, told Rudaw in an interview on Thursday.
The SDC is the political wing of the SDF.
According to Mohammed, the agreement has generated cautious optimism among Syrians.
'All Syrians are hopeful for the deal,' she said. 'It has brought some relief, and recognition for all peoples, including the Kurds.'
On March 10, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a political agreement that integrates the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. The deal includes recognition of the Kurdish population as a core component of Syria, a nationwide ceasefire, and the return of displaced people to their homes.
The Kurds, however, are unhappy about key decisions being made in Damascus and Mohammed said Washington has similar concerns.
Sharaa - formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani - and his Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the US has designated a terrorist group, led a coalition of armed opposition factions that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime. He is now leading the interim government and has appointed a cabinet.
'The US government knows the history of the government in Syria,' said Mohammed, noting that concerns remain in Washington about the nature of the groups forming the government.
'Their past shows that they are radicals and extremists, and cannot bring peace to Syria and all Syrian people,' she said.
According to Mohammed, the United States has consistently emphasized that any future Syrian government must reflect the country's diverse makeup and protect the rights of all its communities.
'It was a condition that the Syrian government must include all components of society,' she said. 'The US says Alawites, Christians, Druze, and others must have their rights guaranteed.'
'They also warned that Islamic extremist ideology must not be allowed to grow. They've seen what happened to the Alawites,' Mohammed said.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the deaths of around 1,500 people—mostly Alawite civilians—in early March violence that erupted after Assad loyalists staged an insurgency in coastal areas but were met with a violent crackdown by Damascus-affiliated forces.
'A new government must be formed that represents all groups and ensures that everyone's rights are protected,' Mohammed said. 'This is important for us—and for the US, too.'