ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish National Council (ENKS), main opposition group in northeast Syria (Rojava), said on Monday that the security forces in Qamishli city raided its office, preventing it from holding its fourth congress.
Founded in 2011, the ENKS has held three congresses in different places so far. The political activities of the group were banned for about three years because it refused to officially register as it did not recognize the administration. However, in late 2019, the authorities decided to allow it to reopen its offices in Rojava to pave the way for intra-Kurdish talks.
The ENKS said in a statement on Monday that it wanted to hold its fourth congress in Zana Hall in Qamishli and informed Americans and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to make sure that its ruling rival Democratic Union Party (PYD) does not make obstacles. The group added that despite receiving guarantees from Americans and the SDF, the owner of the hall was informed by local authorities not to allow the congress to take place.
“We changed the congress venue to one of our offices [in Qamishli] where the PYD gunmen raided the hall again and forced the participants to leave [th hall],” it said.
The council noted that what was done to them was “far from all democratic values and extreme disregard for people’s feelings.”
Neither Kurdish security forces nor Americans have not commented on the raid.
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