Historic Shift in Syria as Kurdish-Led SDF Dissolves and Integrates into State Forces

Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi announced on Tuesday the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces, successfully finalizing an agreement to merge the US-backed military into Syria’s state institutions. During his address in Damascus, Mr Abdi characterized the transition as a completed mission, stating that the mandate of the Syrian Democratic Forces has ended and the autonomous military force is officially disbanded with complete responsibility.

This major development comes on the heels of last week's revelation that the Kurdish-led force would be absorbed into the Syrian government. Originally established in 2015 with crucial backing from the United States, the Syrian Democratic Forces were tasked with fighting ISIS in Syria. However, US support evolved following the collapse of the Assad regime in 2024 and the subsequent rise of a new government led by interim President Ahmad Al Shara.

The disbandment stems from a pact signed in January between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Mr Al Shara. Facilitated through mediation by Washington and Paris and later endorsed by Ankara, the accord aimed to halt hostilities between Kurdish combatants and the new Syrian government after violent clashes resulted in Kurdish forces losing extensive territory across Syria’s oil-rich north and north-east regions.

Shortly after the agreement, Mr Al Shara issued a formal decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language while securing cultural freedoms and Kurdish national rights. Although Kurds remain Syria’s largest minority group, analysts note that the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces marks a major concession, restricting the community's historical pursuit of self-governance and independence mostly to the municipal level.