AANES official says government fails to uphold commitments to Syrian IDPs
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian transitional government is failing to uphold the displaced persons’ clause in the March 10 agreement signed between Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Commander in Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, an official of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Sunday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a session held by the AANES’ Negotiation Committee with civil society organizations in the city of Hasakah, Sheikhmus Ahmad, co-chair of the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees told North Press that the AANES has, from the outset, been ready to facilitate the safe return of displaced Syrians to their areas of origin.
“We, in the AANES, since the fall of the regime have expressed our readiness to facilitate matters and provide services to anyone wishing to return from displacement areas and camps back to their places of origin, including the displaced from Afrin, Ras al-Ain, and Tel Abyad,” Ahmad said.
“This was also a key provision in the March 10 agreement between Mazloum Abdi and Ahmad al-Sharaa, which clearly included supporting and facilitating the return of displaced people from the occupied areas.”
He noted that despite ongoing meetings between the Negotiation Committee and Damascus, “There have been no signs of providing services or easing the return of IDPs.”
Ahmad also highlighted that the areas from which people were displaced remain under Turkish control and the influence of Turkish-backed factions.
According to Ahmad, although these factions claim to operate under the umbrella of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, “their actions and behavior show they are outside framework of the Syrian government.”
He called for the upcoming negotiation sessions to include a binding clause guaranteeing the return of the displaced, the removal of Turkish-backed factions from occupied areas, and the restoration of homes to their original owners after being vacated by the families of those factions.
Ahmad reaffirmed that the AANES is committed to facilitating the safe return of all displaced Syrians and providing the necessary services to ensure stability in their communities.