World News
Syrian president appoints former Kurdish SDF commander as presidential advisor
Decree No 164 brings Mazloum Abdi into Damascus's administration following the dissolution and military integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The short version
- Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Mazloum Abdi, the former head of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a presidential advisor via Decree No 164.
- The appointment comes days after Abdi announced the dissolution of the Kurdish-led SDF and its integration into the Syrian armed forces.
- The SDF's integration leaves Damascus with formal control over nearly all Syrian territory, fulfilling a central goal of al-Sharaa's administration since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
- The female units of the SDF, the YPJ, remain unintegrated after being told the Syrian military structure lacks all-women units.
Key facts
- Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree No 164 appointing former SDF leader Mazloum Abdi as an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic.[Al Jazeera]
- Abdi announced the formal dissolution of the SDF three days prior to his advisory appointment following its integration into the national military.[Al Jazeera]
- The advisory role follows earlier proposals in January that would have made Abdi deputy defense minister and governor of Hasakah province.[Al Jazeera]
- Military integration stalled after an initial March 2025 agreement, prompting state forces to advance into northeastern Syria in January and capture Raqqa and Deir Az Zor before a ceasefire was reached.[Al Jazeera]
- In January, al-Sharaa issued a decree restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds and recognizing Kurdish as a national language.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The future status and organizational path of the YPJ, the SDF's female units, remains unclear after military officials stated the defense ministry lacks a structure for all-women units.[Al Jazeera]