ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on Sunday that the group remains determined to protect the "achievements" of the Kurdish region in northeast Syria despite a recent withdrawal from oil-rich areas. He stressed that the latest “war” was imposed on the SDF.
“This war was imposed on us. We wanted to prevent it, but unfortunately, because it was planned by many forces, it was imposed on us,” Abdi said in a video message aired by the pro-SDF Ronahi TV. “It was planned to become a civil war, but to avoid this and prevent further meaningless bloodshed, we agreed to withdraw from Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa to Hasaka. An agreement was signed on this.”
His remarks came hours after Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that he and Abdi had signed an agreement to halt clashes and integrate the SDF and the areas it controls into the Syrian army and state institutions. The two had signed a previous agreement in March last year, but it has not been fully implemented.
Sharaa said Abdi was scheduled to meet him in Damascus on Sunday, but the visit was postponed until Monday due to bad weather. Abdi confirmed the meeting would take place on Monday, adding that he would share more details about the agreement with the public upon his return.
“We are determined to protect the achievements of the revolution and the gains of our people, while preserving the specific characteristics of our region,” Abdi said. “We have the capability to do so.”