Syria's President Appoints Former SDF Leader as Advisor

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Mazloum Abdi, the leader of the now-dissolved Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic. This appointment was made official through Decree No 164 on Thursday, as reported by the Syrian state news agency Sana. The decision follows Abdi's announcement three days prior regarding the dissolution of the SDF and its integration into the Syrian military. Abdi is among several Kurdish figures who have been appointed to state positions, with another commander previously named assistant defense minister for the eastern region earlier this year. This advisory role is considered less significant than an earlier proposal in January, where al-Sharaa suggested making Abdi deputy defense minister and nominating him as governor of Hasakah province, aimed at restoring state control over the SDF-controlled provincial capital. Al-Sharaa and Abdi had initially agreed to integrate the SDF into the central government in March 2025; however, progress on this deal was minimal before its deadline, leading to state forces engaging in battles in the northeast in January, resulting in the capture of Raqqa and Deir Az Zor from the SDF. A ceasefire concluded the fighting, placing Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, and Hasakah under central government control and requiring the SDF to join the defense and interior ministries under a 14-point plan. One Kurdish-led force, the YPJ, the SDF’s women’s units, has yet to be integrated, having requested to join the defense ministry but being informed that the army's structure does not accommodate women’s units. Additionally, al-Sharaa issued a decree in January recognizing Kurdish as a national language and restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds, marking the first formal acknowledgment of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. The dissolution of the SDF, the largest force outside the army, leaves the Syrian government with formal authority over nearly all of Syrian territory, aligning with al-Sharaa’s commitment to reunifying the country since the ousting of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.