Mixed Emotions in Northeast Syria as SDF Dissolves Into State Military

Residents of northeast Syria are greeting the formal dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with a blend of hope, relief, and sorrow. The announcement, made Tuesday by SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, marks the end of a de facto autonomous administration that once governed roughly a quarter of the country.

The group’s fighters are now being absorbed into Syria’s official armed forces, while civilian institutions it controlled are being handed over to the central government in Damascus. The transition has proceeded more smoothly than many anticipated, and interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has pledged to strengthen Kurdish rights, which were long suppressed under the Assad dynasty.

For some, the change is a moment of cautious optimism. Mohammed al Mohammed, a civil society activist in Qamishli, said he trusts Abdi, who led the years-long fight against Islamic State militants, to secure basic rights for Kurds. "Our rights are basic rights — being able to speak in our own language, to live on our land, to be able to manage our land ourselves, and not to be assaulted as Kurds," he said.

Eva Sheikh Mousa, from the town of Amuda, echoed that sentiment, saying the fate of the SDF as an organization matters less than the substance of Kurdish rights. "Whoever secures the rights of the Kurds... that’s what the Kurds are looking for," she said. "It’s not that SDF is gone and so the Kurds are gone too."

Others are struggling with the loss. Jwan Mohammed, displaced from Afrin in a 2018 Turkish-led offensive, said he supports integration with the national military but finds the disbandment hard to accept. "They made great sacrifices and they fought against the Islamic State," he said. "Now, they say the name of SDF doesn’t exist any more. It is too much and it is hard."

Residents of the formerly SDF-controlled areas are also facing economic strain, as the central government’s removal of fuel subsidies has driven up prices and sparked protests in recent months.

The integration has nonetheless strengthened al-Sharaa’s government as it works to unify a country recovering from nearly 14 years of civil war. International reactions have been positive. French President Emmanuel Macron called the move a "decisive step" toward peaceful integration, while U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described it as "absolutely historic." Barrack also highlighted al-Sharaa’s pledge to recognize Kurdish in education and reported appointments of senior SDF figures to government roles.

Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, who mediated between the SDF and Damascus, welcomed the agreement and urged all Kurdish parties to support the process.