AANES: No compromise on decentralization, SDF in army
By Dilsoz Yousif and Samir Yassin
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Fawza Yusuf, co-chair of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) negotiation committee, emphasized on Friday that decentralization and the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian army are “fundamental and non-negotiable” issues. She stressed the continuation of dialogue with the Syrian government despite existing disagreements.
Speaking during a discussion session at the “Samarkand” hall in Hasakah, Yusuf said that the five meetings held with the government focused on several key issues, including the return of displaced persons, security, economic matters, and mechanisms for merging institutions.
Yusuf added that early meetings concentrated on simpler files to build trust, such as the continuation of the al-Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafieh agreements, as well as the formation of committees for exams and for security, military, and economic matters.
She noted that a planned meeting between the Afrin committee and its government counterpart after Eid al-Fitr had not yet taken place, while education exams were postponed for 15 days and later conducted successfully.
The latest session was attended by representatives from Syria’s Ministries of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence. From AANES, attendees included Yusuf herself, Mazloum Abdi, Ilham Ahmed, and Abdulhanid al-Mahbash. Discussions centered on the concept of institutional integration.
Yusuf underlined that the Autonomous Administration rejects dissolving institutions or handing them over entirely, insisting on merging them democratically. She also emphasized that decentralization, minority and women’s rights remain core principles, and that the SDF should remain part of the Syrian army in an agreed framework, without bringing in forces from other regions.
She criticized the recently formed Syrian government as not representative of all Syrians based on population densities, and described the constitutional declaration as undemocratic regarding minority, women’s, and cultural and linguistic group rights.
Yusuf further stressed that the government deals with individuals who do not represent the region’s will and highlighted the need for negotiations with parties, formations, and political forces. She added that individual rights alone are insufficient and that solutions must be comprehensive, fundamental, and not temporary.
She confirmed that US, French, and British international mediation continues, despite the government postponing the Paris meeting twice due to events in Suwayda and the Hasakah conference, and stated that AANES is ready for any new meeting to provide fair and democratic solutions for all Syrians.