Interview
A young woman holds the Flag of Syria as people celebrate the New Year near Umayyad Square in Damascus, Syria, on January 1, 2025. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ribal al-Assad, Syria’s former dictator’s cousin, suggests that federalism is the best option for the country but the new authority in Damascus has categorically refused the system.
A coalition of rebels spearheaded by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) spearheaded a blistering offensive against Bashar al-Assad’s regime late November, toppling the regime on December 8 and ending over five decades of Baathist rule.
Ribal al-Assad is the son of Rifaat al-Assad.
“I have always called for Syria to be united and, as I said before, to have a geographical federalism, because federalism is the only way today, especially after the war, that can protect everyone and can make us live under one umbrella,” Ribal al-Assad told Rudaw in a recent interview.
Rilab al-Assad and his family have lived in diaspora for decades following his father's failed coup attempt.
Syrian Kurds, who control most of the northeast (Rojava), have not demanded federalism and the new administration in Damascus has said they will not allow federalism in the country.
“Federalism is the best solution and does not mean division. Bashar al-Assad used to say that federalism means division and today the newcomers are saying the same thing, this shows that they are backward and have no knowledge of federalism and its meaning,” said Ribal al-Assad while adding that many of the richest countries have a federal system and reiterating that it does not mean division.
Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) on Sunday, told Saudi media that the country’s defense ministry will also include Kurdish forces.
“The Syrian Ministry of Defense will include Kurdish forces in its ranks,” Al-Hadath cited him as saying, in an interview.
Sharaa called Kurds an “integral part” of Syrian society.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic (SDF), de facto army of Rojava, have expressed their readiness to be merged into Syria’s new security apparatus.
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi told Asharq Al-Awsat in a recent interview, that they are willing to merge the SDF into the new Syrian army if both sides agree on a “suitable formula through negotiations.”
Sharaa and a top SDF delegation met on Monday to discuss the future of their relations and Rojava.
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