“I strongly encourage the United Nations, Turkiye, and regional and Syrian partners, to work together on genuine compromises that can enable peace and stability to take hold in northeast Syria,” Geir Pedersen told the UN Security Council.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Rojava and the new administration in Damascus have been in talks about the future of the group and its potential integration into Syria’s national security forces. Additionally, discussions are ongoing regarding the fate of Rojava, which has been under Kurdish administration for over a decade.
Pederson welcomed the establishment of a “direct channel” between the caretaker Syrian authorities and the SDF, “even if progress has not yet emerged.” He cautioned that continued conflict in Syria could drastically impact civilians, the country’s economy, stability, and the broader transition. The UN envoy further warned potential impact on international efforts to combat the Islamic State (ISIS), which could undermine global peace and security.
After meeting with SDF chief Mazloum Abdi last month, Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa said the new Syrian army would include the US-backed force. Abdi expressed readiness to integrate the SDF into a national military, contingent on reaching a mutually agreed-upon framework.
“It is crucial that all doors remain open to ensuring the inclusion of all parts of Syria and all key constituencies within the political transition process,” Pedersen stressed.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, on December 8 toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad who fled to Russia with his family. The new Syrian leadership in late January dissolved the country’s army and parliament, and annulled its constitution.
Notably, the HTS has not clashed with the SDF, which maintains it is not looking to start a conflict with the new administration in Damascus. The US-backed group controls about a third of the country and includes members of various ethnic groups, including Arabs, Christians, and Kurds, as well as female fighters.
In late January, Pedersen expressed hope in a potential agreement between the Damascus authorities and the Kurdsh-led Rojava administration to avoid a full-scale military confrontation "that cannot serve the interests of the Syrian people.”