ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation of Afrin notables is set to visit the governor of Aleppo later this week to demand the expulsion of Arab families who were brought to Afrin and are currently residing in homes belonging to displaced Kurdish residents, a prominent politician told Rudaw on Sunday. The move is expected to pave the way for the return of Kurds who have been displaced from the city for nearly a decade.
A senior member of the the Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) in Afrin, speaking to Rudaw on Sunday on condition of anonymity, said that "Arabs who have been brought from Deir ez-Zor have settled in Kurdish homes in Afrin and refuse to leave," adding that the settlers have "occupied hundreds of large houses and expensive villas, and they will not vacate them without government pressure."
The move comes following an agreement between the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) and the Syrian interim government that was intended to facilitate the return of displaced residents of Afrin and its surrounding areas.
Despite the agreement, many families have been unable to return, citing the continued occupation of their homes by Arab settlers.
The official further stated, "Afrin is a large and prosperous region. The Arabs from Deir ez-Zor do not want to give up this prosperous [area] easily and return to their own desert regions."
According to information obtained by Rudaw, the delegation will include intellectuals, writers, and activists from Afrin.