The Director of the Media Center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Farhad Shami, said, Wednesday, July 23, that the U.S. envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, requested the SDF’s involvement in the Suwayda issue, emphasizing that the American side must pressure the Syrian government to change its approach so that the Suwayda events are not repeated elsewhere.
Shami added that the Suwayda events are a continuation of what he described as the Syrian government’s “erroneous” policies, which rely on security solutions and the use of force while denying the rights of components of society—policies that have created a rift between the government and segments of the Syrian people, according to his interview with Al-Youm channel.
Commenting on the Suwayda events, Shami said, “What happened in Suwayda and the coast creates a social rift between the Syrian people and the government, and opens the door to foreign intervention. When there are no Syrian-Syrian solutions, external solutions will be imposed on the people.”
He continued, “The government is implicated in what happened in Suwayda. It sent the army and heavy weaponry into the city to impose control by force, accompanied by incitement campaigns. It could have sent a negotiation delegation instead of artillery.”
Farhad Shami warned that a repeat of the Suwayda events in other cities would mark “the end of the regime,” as he put it, and would worsen the security chaos in Syria. “The government’s current approach does not solve problems; it creates even bigger ones,” he said.
According to Shami, regional actors fear the next step and are monitoring the Syrian government’s behavior. The government and its backers are under regional surveillance pressure, so the decision lies with the government—either it changes course, or Syria will move toward a change that may be linked to the region.
Negotiation Track
Shami affirmed that the SDF is negotiating with the Syrian government, “not out of submission or surrender.”
He stated, “We have military and political strength and international support, so we’re not here to discuss the future of the SDF; rather, we’re discussing the future of Syria. But the government insists on discussing the future of the SDF and the Autonomous Administration.”
According to Shami, the SDF is proposing realistic initiatives and projects that serve Syria, but in recent meetings attended by American and French representatives, there were differences in viewpoints.
Regarding the disputes between the SDF and the government, Shami explained that the main issues revolve around two points. The first is that the Syrian government “cares more about external actors than internal concerns” and sets its policies based on what he described as “external assurances while ignoring internal needs.”
The second point of contention is that the government negotiates with the SDF “only to expand its influence,” whereas the SDF seeks to discuss Syria’s identity and future.
He said, “The Syrian government wants influence in the prisons and camps. We asked them to send a delegation to jointly manage these files, but they are not willing to share responsibility.”
Shami confirmed that the SDF will integrate into the Syrian army to establish a unified government and military, but not as individual members. They want to join as a collective bloc within the army and do not wish for their military role to be limited to northeastern Syria, but rather to extend across all Syrian territory.
He considered the disarmament of the SDF a “red line,” saying, “Our weapons are Syrian. If we hand them over to an authority that thinks exclusively and lacks a constitution that guarantees the rights of all Syrian communities, these weapons could one day be used against us, as happened in the coast and Suwayda,” he said.
Shami noted that the SDF and the Syrian government are in near-daily communication, but “the will for a solution is currently almost non-existent on the government’s part.”
He concluded, “When the government is ready for a democratic political solution, the SDF will be the first to respond.”
Fears of Collapse of March 10 Agreement
Concerns are mounting over the potential collapse of the agreement between Syrian transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi, amid escalating rhetoric on official media platforms of both the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian government, in addition to a wave of arrests targeting journalists and activists, and violations committed by SDF elements in Deir Ezzor, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent there.
During a press conference attended by Enab Baladi, Deir Ezzor Governor Ghassan al-Sayyid Ahmad stated that three military divisions in Deir Ezzor are fully mobilized and ready to respond to any aggression by the SDF. If negotiations with the SDF fail, the divisions are prepared for military action.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in the Autonomous Administration expressed concern in a statement published at the beginning of July over what it called the “serious security escalation” in the capital Damascus, including arrests of Kurdish activists in Rukn al-Din and Wadi al-Mashari neighborhoods, including the arrest of Abdul Rahman Farhan, an activist in the PYD.
SDF Holds Syrian Government Responsible for Suwayda Events Enab Baladi.
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