Milestone appears to resolve escalating tensions over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria
The Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces have reached an agreement to extend a fragile ceasefire into a permanent truce, laying a framework for integrating Kurdish forces into the state and ending nearly a month of fighting.
The agreement on Friday appeared to resolve escalating tensions between the two sides over the question of Kurdish autonomy in north-east Syria and paved a way for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to join Syria’s new army through negotiations, rather than battle.
It also was a milestone for Damascus, which has sought to extend its control over the entirety of Syria’s territory, which for 14-years was carved up by competing militias and powers. The SDF had previously controlled about a quarter of the country and all of its main oilfields, constituting a significant challenge to the fledgling state’s rule.
It came after Syrian government forces swept through north-east Syria, aided by the Arab and tribal elements, shrinking the territory controlled by the SDF by about 80%. The SDF chose mainly to withdraw from Arab-majority areas but were preparing to defend Kurdish-majority cities from government forces, when the deal was struck on Friday.
