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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Syrian Kurdish opposition parties have refused to re-open their offices in northeast Syria, citing a lack of trust in the ruling Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (NES).
The decision was made by the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), an umbrella group of opposition parties in a Friday meeting in Qamishli.
The NES said in a December 17 statement that they would allow the ENKS to reopen offices in the region – shut down by the ruling authorities in 2016.
The statement added that the Kurdish authorities will drop all legal cases against ENKS members, and form a committee to investigate opposition claims that its members are being held in NES prisons for political reasons.
Despite long-standing divisions, Turkey’s launch of Operation Peace Spring against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria in October has encouraged Kurdish parties in Rojava to re-engage in serious efforts to build unity.
Most ENKS members have been living in the Kurdistan Region, Turkey and Western countries after some were banned from entering northeast Syria due to perceived links with Turkey.
Bashar Amin, a member of the ENKS General Secretariat, told Rudaw that the lack of trust in the NES is the biggest issue for the group.
“For us, the essential thing is the creation of trust between us. Additionally, we prioritize the issue of the detainees [ to the re-opening of offices],” he said referring to the alleged detention of tens of their members by the NES in the last few years.
The NES has previously said there are no ENKS political prisoners in Rojava. However, the group has submitted a list of dozens of members they claim are being held in NES prisons.
The ENKS has in the past refused to recognize the ruling administration, accusing it of being unwilling to share power.
Kurdish security forces (Asayesh) announced the release of one recently-detained ENKS member, Suud Mizar Issa, on December 21 as part of the reconciliation process. It claimed that Issa had colluded with "external parties" to endanger the region.
The opposition group denied the claim, saying that their member was detained for his political activities.
Some local residents have blamed foreign interference for disunity in the region.
“The interests of the regional and international countries prevent them from reaching unity. If these countries desire to form a Kurdish unity, then the rest is easy. Kurds are not independent when it comes to decision-making,” Siraj Ahmed, a local from Qamishli, told Rudaw on Friday.
“If they want to be united, they should not keep anything between themselves secret,” said Younes Abu-Zayyed, also of Qamishli.
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