SDF chief says Kurds seek local autonomy within unified Syria

The commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, has said that the Kurds’ principal demand in north-eastern Syria is decentralised local governance, regardless of the terminology used.

Speaking at the conclusion of his participation in the Munich Security Conference, Abdi told Rudaw Network that the core issue is enabling Kurds to manage their own regions and safeguard their distinct identity.

Responding to comments by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani rejecting the notion of Kurdish “self-rule”, Abdi said the dispute lay more in labels than substance. “We are not attached to a specific name,” he said, “but to the principle that Kurds should administer their regions autonomously.”

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Abdi added that international actors he met during the conference expressed support for Kurdish rights and for protecting the autonomy of their regions, as well as preventing renewed attacks. He said the shared objective was to ensure that Kurds could determine their administrative future within a unified Syrian state.

During meetings with Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration, Abdi stressed the importance of Kurdish unity, saying the delegation was aligned in its objectives despite differences in approach.

He also called on the international community to establish a mechanism to guarantee implementation of an agreement signed with Damascus. Such a mechanism, he said, should ensure protection for Kurdish areas and allow local forces, including the Peshmerga of Rojava, to join newly formed Syrian army units tasked with defending the region.

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