SDF commander meets with Arab tribal leaders in rare visit to volatile Deir ez-Zor

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi met with Arab tribal leaders this week in a rare visit to the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, which has seen unrest following the death of a prominent Arab tribal leader.

Abdi visited the eastern part of the province on Monday, meeting with Arab tribal leaders, local officials and members of the security forces. “The agenda of meetings focused on what happened in Deir ez-Zor and what should be done to spare the region from chaos,” the  Kurdish-led SDF said in a statement on Wednesday. 

The general commander rarely makes public visits to remote areas like Deir ez-Zor. 

Abdi said that northeast Syria is “on the verge of a new phase, seeking to reach a political solution that is consistent with the aspirations of the Syrians,” added the statement. 

The towns of Ziban, al-Shuhail, and al-Huwaij in the eastern part of the province have seen days of unrest after an Arab tribal leader, Sheikh Mutsher Hamud Jeidan al-Hifl, was killed by unknown gunmen. Security is a problem for the region that  is a hotspot of Islamic State (ISIS) activity.  

Deir ez-Zor province is controlled by the SDF and Syrian regime forces. ISIS is active in SDF-controlled areas which border Iraq, pushing the multi-ethnic force to conduct several military operations against sleeper cells said to be behind the recent unrest, including the assassination of Sheikh Jeiddan. Tens of ISIS suspects have been arrested in the SDF raids. 

The members of the tribe held protests and called on the SDF and the Global Coalition against ISIS to find the perpetrators. The demonstrations began peacefully but turned violent as they were joined by people carrying weapons and clashed with the SDF. 

Tensions between local Arabs and the SDF are not new but rarely turn violent.

Other subjects discussed included ISIS, job opportunities, and basic services, which have also sparked protests in the past.

Abdi also said that local authorities in the province should “work on providing services at a faster pace.”