Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Mazloum Abdi, the former leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as an adviser to the Presidency of the Republic. The appointment came three days after Abdi announced the SDF’s dissolution and the completion of its integration with the Syrian military.
The appointment was made through Decree No 164, reported by Syria’s state news agency Sana. Abdi is the most senior of several Kurdish figures to receive state positions.
A reduced role after a stalled integration deal
Al-Sharaa and Abdi first agreed in March 2025 to fold the SDF into Syria’s central government. The agreement made little progress before its year-end deadline, and government forces fought into northeastern Syria in January, taking Raqqa and Deir Az Zor from the SDF.
The subsequent ceasefire committed the SDF to joining the defence and interior ministries under a 14-point plan. The SDF had been the largest force still outside the Syrian army.
Key points
- The advisory post is less senior than a January proposal to make Abdi deputy defence minister and governor of Hasakah province.
- A ceasefire plan placed Raqqa, Deir Az Zor and Hasakah under central government control and committed the SDF to the defence and interior ministries.
- The YPJ, the SDF’s women’s units, has asked to join the defence ministry but was told the army has no units for women.
- A January decree recognised Kurdish as a national language and restored citizenship to Syria’s Kurds.
What the appointment means for Damascus
The SDF’s dissolution gives Damascus formal authority over almost all Syrian territory, according to the account of the transition. Reunifying the country has been a central promise of al-Sharaa since former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Abdi’s appointment follows the placement of another Kurdish commander as assistant defence minister for the eastern region earlier this year.
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