ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Arab tribal fighters from eastern Syria have erected a "War Tent" near Hasaka city, with some threatening to kill Kurds and end Rojava's administration of northeast Syria. The government is reportedly working to calm the situation.
Fighters from several Arab tribes gathered near the Kurdish city of Hasaka on Thursday, initially demanding better services. Their demands later escalated to calls for an end to the Rojava administration and the return of government forces to the region. They subsequently named the encampment the "War Tent," and footage circulating on social media shows some fighters threatening to kill Kurds.
Kurdish authorities in Rojava have not commented on the threats, but some Kurdish tribes have expressed willingness to defend Rojava if attacked.
Pro-government media, however, reported that a delegation from the Damascus-affiliated Political Board arrived at the tent later Thursday to defuse tensions.
Rojava media reported Friday that the same delegation met with Qamishli district mayor Jihan Hussam "to discuss issues related to the district." Hussam, a Kurd affiliated with the Kurdish administration, was recently appointed to the post by the interim government in Damascus.
Qamishli, located in Hasaka province, is widely seen as Rojava's de facto capital.
The government-affiliated Hasaka Media Directorate said Friday that a government delegation visited tribal leaders in Qamishli "as part of efforts to strengthen communication and consolidate civil peace."
Abdulhakim Bashar, a Kurdish member of Syria's newly formed interim parliament, said in a Facebook post Saturday that the "War Tent" mobilization creates "fertile ground for instability, which is exactly what Syria's enemies are working toward by every means."
"Syria today is in greater need of a tent that brings its people together around dialogue than of trenches that deepen division. Nations are built through dialogue, and their unity is preserved through consensus, while confrontation yields nothing but more pain, and gives those lying in wait for the homeland a chance to achieve what they have failed to achieve by other means," he added.
An Arab member of the legislature also appealed for calm.
"I believe that escalation, inflammatory rhetoric, and calls for war bring us nothing but harm. The appeals we hear are not in our interest. These statements are not meant as lecturing to you - you are our brothers and dear to us," Alwan al-Ali said in a video statement.
The development comes amid a January agreement between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Damascus to integrate Rojava's security, military, and civilian structures into the Syrian state.
The deal, signed after deadly clashes between SDF-aligned forces and government troops, has drawn backing from international actors including France and the United States. Turkey - a key backer of the Damascus government - has also endorsed the agreement.
