Syrian President Appoints Former SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi as Presidential Advisor

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Mazloum Abdi, leader of the now-dissolved Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a presidential advisor. The official appointment was made through Decree No 164, announced on Thursday by the Syrian state news agency Sana. This development follows Abdi's announcement three days prior regarding the dissolution of the SDF and its full integration into the Syrian military.

Abdi stands out as the highest-ranking Kurdish figure to receive a state appointment, following another commander who was named assistant defence minister for the eastern region earlier this year. The newly assigned advisory position marks a step down from an offer made in January, when President al-Sharaa initially proposed making Abdi deputy defence minister and governor of Hasakah province to help restore state control over the region.

The integration process began when al-Sharaa and Abdi first reached an agreement in March 2025 to fold the SDF into the central government. After initial delays past the year-end deadline, state forces pushed into the northeast in January, capturing Raqqa and Deir Az Zor from the SDF. A subsequent ceasefire placed Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, and Hasakah under central government control while requiring the SDF to integrate into the defence and interior ministries under a 14-point plan. Meanwhile, the YPJ, the SDF's women’s units, sought to join the defence ministry but were informed that the existing army structure does not include specific units for women.

Alongside these military integrations, President al-Sharaa issued a decree in January recognizing Kurdish as a national language and restoring citizenship to Syria Kurds, marking the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. With the dissolution of the SDF, which was the largest remaining independent force, Damascus has secured formal authority across nearly all Syrian territory, fulfilling a core promise made by al-Sharaa after former leader Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.