Latest news with #Abdi
Shafaq News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
US Envoy praises SDF efforts after Abdi's remarks
Shafaq News – Damascus On Tuesday, the United States envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, welcomed recent remarks by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi expressing alignment with the Syrian government on national unity, including the integration of the SDF into the state military structure. Posting on X, Barrack described Abdi's leadership and the ongoing efforts of the SDF as crucial to Syria's stability, citing shared goals with the Syrian government under transitional president Ahmad Shar'a for 'a unified army, government, and state.' He also emphasized the importance of continuing dialogue to promote national integration. . @MazloumAbdi - Your leadership & the SDF's perseverant efforts, alongside the Syrian government's resolute commitment to inclusion under President al-Sharaa, are pivotal to a stable Syria of 'one army, one government, one state.' We so appreciate the constructive dialogue to… — Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) July 29, 2025 Abdi, speaking earlier to Al Arabiya TV, confirmed that the SDF agrees with Damascus on the principles of one army and one flag, and that 'the force will be incorporated into the Syrian Ministry of Defense.' He noted that the process for integration will be a central topic in an upcoming meeting in Paris, which will include Syrian government officials, French representatives, and the US envoy. While affirming Syria's territorial integrity, Abdi clarified that 'decentralization does not imply partition,' but acknowledged ongoing Kurdish concerns about integration without constitutional guarantees. On March 10, Syria's transitional president Ahmad Al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement to 'merge' civil and military institutions in northeastern Syria into the Syrian state's administration. The agreement includes border crossings, airports, and oil and gas fields.
Rudaw Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
French FM speaks with SDF chief, expresses support for Syrian Kurds
Also in World KRG requested defence system from US: Official Paris to host next round of SDF-Damascus talks Israeli, Syrian officials meet in Paris US must pressure Syria to protect minority rights: USCRIF A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke with Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on Friday to confirm that Paris will host the next round of talks between the SDF and Damascus. Barrot also reiterated France's support for Syrian Kurds, according to the French foreign ministry. 'This exchange provided an opportunity to confirm the upcoming holding in Paris of a negotiation session between the Syrian transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces with a view to implement the March 10 agreement, under the auspices of France and the United States,' read a statement from the ministry. 'The minister reiterated France's support for defining a negotiated and peaceful solution for the unification of Syria, the integration of the population of northeastern Syria into the political transition process, and the guarantee of Kurdish rights,' said the statement from the French foreign ministry. Earlier in the day, Barrot met with US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The meeting, in which they discussed negotiations between the SDF and Damascus, was 'very frank and productive,' according to the French ministry. Abdi and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 10 signed an agreement that outlines the future of the SDF and Rojava. While parts of the agreement have been implemented, key provisions - such as integrating the US-backed SDF into Syrian state forces - remain contested. Kurdish leaders have voiced concern over the centralization of power and the prominence of Islamic law in the transitional constitution adopted by Syria's interim government. They have repeatedly denied accusations of separatism and have called instead for federalism. Kurds held a national conference earlier this year, calling for decentralization. Following the conversation between Barrot and Abdi, an official from the Syrian foreign ministry told the state-run TV channel al-Ikhbariya that France has agreed to 'pressure the SDF to reach the solution desired by Syrians.' Qutaiba Idlibi, director of the American Affairs Department at the ministry, said that the scheduled meeting between the SDF and Damascus in Paris is the continuation of talks with the Kurdish-led force about their 'full integration.' In recent interviews, SDF representatives have said the force must retain its own weapons and join the Syrian army as a block. 'Handing over weapons is a red line. It is not possible to hand over weapons,' Farhad Shami, head of SDF media centre, told Syria's Alyaum TV on Wednesday. SDF spokesperson Abjar Dawoud told Saudi-based Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that the SDF could join the Syrian army 'through a constitutional and legal agreement that recognizes the specificity of our forces,' adding that they refuse to 'surrender' their weapons 'in light of the increase in the pace of violence' in Suwayda province, where at least 1,300 people were killed in a week of clashes. He said it is also 'impossible' for the SDF to hand over its weapons while the Islamic State (ISIS) remains a threat to northeast Syria. An unnamed senior official from the Syrian government told al-Ikhbariya on Thursday that the SDF's demands are not acceptable.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF's Abdi in Paris for negotiations with Syrian government
Shafaq News – Paris The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi arrived in Paris on Wednesday ahead of a meeting with a Syrian government delegation, held under joint French and US oversight. A source close to the SDF told Shafaq News that Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration's Department of Foreign Relations, accompanied Abdi alongside several senior officials from the administration. A meeting, overseen by several French officials and US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, will bring together the SDF delegation and a Syrian government team led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. According to the source, preparations for the meeting began days ago through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are being held under the direct sponsorship of French President Emmanuel Macron. The talks aim to explore a potential agreement that would integrate the SDF and associated institutions into the structure of the Syrian state. Earlier, Kurdish officials revealed that the Syrian government, Abdi, and Barrack reached preliminary agreements during recent talks in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Officials from the Autonomous Administration told the Saudi Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath TV channel that the agreements included joint control of border crossings and the Tishrin Dam. However, discussions on prison facilities and oil fields were postponed to a later stage.
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Somalia donors losing faith as Al-Shabaab insurgency surges
Govt faces a perfect storm of declining global support and demoralized army NAIROBI: Despite billions of dollars in international support, Somalia's army has melted in the face of a months-long offensive by the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgency, and donors are running out of patience. Using hundreds of fighters and a vehicle packed with explosives for a suicide attack, Al-Shabaab retook the town of Moqokori on July 7, the latest in a wave of defeats this year for the government. It has given them a strategic geographical position to launch attacks into the Hiiraan region, but it was also a powerful symbolic victory over a local clan militia that had been the government's 'best fighting force' against Al-Shabaab, according to Omar Mahmood of the International Crisis Group. Somalia's government has been battling the Islamist militant group since the mid-2000s and its fortunes have waxed and waned, but now faces a perfect storm of declining international support, a demoralized army and political infighting. The government relied on local militias, known as 'Macwiisley', for a successful campaign in 2022-23, taking some 200 towns and villages from Al-Shabaab. But the insurgents' counter-offensive this year has seen them regain some 90 percent of their lost territory, estimates Rashid Abdi of Sahan Research, a think tank. Towns that were supposed models of stabilization, like Masaajid Cali Gaduud and Adan Yabal, have fallen. Three bridges along the Shebelle River, crucial to military supply lines, have been destroyed. 'The whole stretch from the north-west to the south-west of Mogadishu is now controlled largely by Al-Shabaab,' Abdi told AFP. The Macwiisley campaign collapsed, he said, because the government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, known as HSM, 'was extremely inept at working with the clans', empowering some and not others based on political favoritism rather than military needs. 'The mobilization went well when the president came from Mogadishu to start the first phase of the offensive (in 2022). Everybody was heavily involved in the fighting... assisting the national army,' Mohamed Hassan, a local militia member in Hiiraan, told AFP. 'It's no longer the same because the leadership are no longer involved and there seems to be disorganization in how the community militias are mobilized,' he added. The Somali National Army has done little to stem the insurgents, unsurprising for a force 'still in development mode while trying to fight a war at the same time,' said Mahmood, the analyst. Its most effective arm, the US-trained 'Danab' commando unit, is better at killing militants than holding territory, and has suffered demoralizing losses to its officer corps, added Abdi. 'We are beginning to see an army that is not just dysfunctional, but losing the will to actually fight,' he said. The problems stem from the wider chaos of Somali politics, in which a kaleidoscope of clan demands have never resolved into anything like a national consensus. The government has vowed a renewed military push, but President Mohamud's focus has been on holding the country's first-ever one-man, one-vote election next year. That 'will not happen', said a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Even in Mogadishu, where security is strongest, 'any polling station would get bombed,' he said. 'It's unfortunate that attention was shifted towards insignificant political-related matters which do not help security instead of focusing on strengthening the armed forces,' ex-president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed recently told reporters. Al-Shabaab has not launched a full assault on the capital, but has repeatedly demonstrated its presence. Pot-shots targeting the airport are at an all-time high, said the diplomat, and Mohamud narrowly survived an attack on his convoy outside the presidential palace in March. The group also controls much of the economy. 'It out-taxes the state. Its business tentacles spread everywhere,' said Abdi. 'It is one of the wealthiest insurgencies in Africa.' Meanwhile, the government's foreign backers are losing patience. The European Union and United States have poured well over $7 billion into Somali security — primarily various African Union-led missions — since 2007, according to the EU Institute for Security Studies. The previous AU mission ended in December, but had to be immediately replaced with a new one — with the quip-generating acronym AUSSOM — because Somali forces were still not ready to take over. — AFP
Shafaq News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF commander welcomes Syria ceasefire
Shafaq News – Damascus On Saturday, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi welcomed the ceasefire deal in Syria's southern Suwayda province, describing it as a step toward civil peace and national stability. In a post on X marking the 12th anniversary of the July 19, 2012 uprising launched from Kobani, Abdi saluted those who died during the conflict with the al-Assad regime, including those from Suwayda province, and reaffirmed his commitment to 'the revolution's principles to safeguard future generations and ensure stability.' نبارك لشعبنا، لمقاتلي ومقاتلات قوات سوريا الديمقراطية، حلول ذكرى ثورة 19 تموز التي شكلت محطة مفصلية في مسار انتصار الثورة السورية. نستذكر شهداءنا بكل إجلال، كما نستذكر شهداء محافظة السويداء، ونحيي الجهود التي أفضت إلى وقف إطلاق النار دعماً للسلم الأهلي.نجدد التزامنا بمبادئ ثورة… — Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) July 19, 2025 Syrian security forces deployed across parts of Suwayda earlier as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal aimed at ending days of heavy fighting between local armed groups and Arab tribal forces. Despite the truce announcement, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in a statement that clashes continued between Bedouin tribes and local armed factions in Suwayda city. The death toll from the fighting in Suwayda has reached 940 over the past week, according to SOHR.
