ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior Kurdish official in northeastern Syria (Rojava) warned on Monday that the integration of their civilian and military institutions into the Syrian state is “proceeding slowly,” noting that discussions are ongoing to resolve outstanding issues, including drafting a new constitution.
“Syria needs a new constitution, and its drafting committee must include representatives from all components,” Elham Ahmad, co-chair of foreign relations for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava) told the Rojava-affiliated Hawar News Agency (ANHA).
Ahmad added that Kurds “will have a role in the committee drafting the new constitution” and are expected to play a significant part in the next phase.
On Wednesday, Ahmad and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), met interim Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus to discuss completing the integration process of the SDF and Rojava, based on a 14-point agreement reached in late January.
The SDF-Damascus deal followed a sharp military escalation in mid-January, during which Syrian government forces and allied armed groups seized territory in Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.
The agreement covers a wide range of issues, including integrating the SDF into the Syrian army, managing border crossings, and exchanging prisoners. It also mandates the formation of a division under the Syrian defense ministry for Hasaka province, with SDF forces to be incorporated into three brigades.
However, the SDF is also seeking the inclusion of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) alongside other Kurdish forces. The YPJ is an all-women military force affiliated with the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF.
“The discussion about granting official status to the YPJ is still ongoing within the interim government’s agenda,” Ahmad said, noting that no “new outcome” has yet been reached.
Ahmad also addressed the future of municipal governance in Rojava, explaining that local administrations will be restructured under the new system.
The SDF has long called for decentralization, a demand repeatedly rejected by Damascus, which favors a centralized model of governance. As part of the ongoing arrangements, the SDF has appointed a governor for Hasaka and, within plans to integrate the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) into the interior ministry, has proposed joint patrols and a limited central security presence in Kurdish-majority areas to maintain stability.
Another key component of the deal is the exchange of detainees. Earlier in April, Ahmed al-Hilali told Rudaw that more than 1,500 detainees from both sides had been released, with nearly 300 additional SDF detainees expected to be freed “in the near future.”
Ahmad said the detainee file remains unresolved, emphasizing that during their meeting with Sharaa, both sides stressed the need to release all prisoners as soon as possible, according to Hawar News Agency.