KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Ilham Ahmed, the co-chair of the Executive Board of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), the political assembly representing the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), said on Friday that the conflict in Syria has not ended, and that the insistence on the rule of the Ba’ath regime means the continuation of the conflict.
The Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, or Ba’ath Party, was founded in Syria in the 1940s and came to power in the 1960s. The party is the ruling party in Syria, and mixes Arab nationalist and pan-Arab ideology. Though it exists in other Arab nations, its greatest base of power is in Syria, with over 2/3 of the People’s Council of Syria being Ba’ath party members.
Ahmed’s statements came on the sidelines of a symposium held by the SDC in the city of Kobani, in the presence of politicians, social activists, and officials of the AANES under the title Towards a National Conference for the People of Jazira and the Euphrates.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently stated that military operations between the opposition and Syrian government had ended, and only two hotspots remained, namely Idlib and the east of the Euphrates.
Ahmed during the opening ceremony of the symposium, “There are new statements by the Russian Foreign Minister about the ceasefire between Syrian government forces and the opposition, but he excluded the eastern Euphrates and Idlib regions.”
“The conflict has not ended in Syria yet, and the insistence on the Ba’ath regime ruling does not mean the end of the conflict, but rather the continuation of the conflict,” Ahmed added. “There are no prospects that could lead to the resolution of the Syrian crisis in a short time, especially with the presence of militant factions and sleeper cells.”
She added, “The regime does not want to make change in the Syrian government and the constitution.”
Ahmed believes that the solution to the Syrian crisis must be made by Syrians, and if it was imposed externally, it would not be a real solution, but rather a formality.
She pointed out that “the Syrian consensus, especially with the opposition parties, is still fragile, as the opposition is far from reality and dispersed between states and regional powers, which is what prolongs the crisis.”
She added, “The second reason is the intransigence of the Syrian regime and its insistence on the centralized system, and its unwillingness to engage in dialogue and bring about change in the constitution or its institutional structure.”
Lavrov had previously criticized the US military presence in northeastern Syria, saying that “the Americans are playing with the Kurds in an irresponsible way.”
The first session of the symposium included discussions on the intra-Syrian dialogue, both dialogue with the opposition or dialogue with the regime, in addition to the intra-Kurdish talks and their reflection on the political solution.
The symposium in Kobane will deal with the historical relations between the region’s communities and their role in building the AANES, as well as the mechanism for developing participation and institutional work in it.
150 people participated in the symposium from political, cultural and tribal activities from Kobani and its countryside, according to the organizers of the symposium.
The SDF held similar seminars in the cities of Hasakah and Manbij last week. It is expected that 14 seminars will be held in most cities and regions of northeastern Syria.