Syria's al-Sharaa appoints Mazloum Abdi as presidential advisor
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Mazloum Abdi, former commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as a presidential advisor on Thursday. The appointment comes three days after Abdi announced the dissolution of the SDF and its integration into the Syrian military.
Key Facts
- Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued Decree No. 164 appointing Mazloum Abdi as an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic.
- Abdi announced the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the completion of its integration with the Syrian military three days before the appointment.
- In January, al-Sharaa issued a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language and restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds.
- The SDF was the largest force still outside the Syrian army, and its dissolution leaves Damascus with formal authority over almost all Syrian territory.
The Appointment
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Mazloum Abdi as a presidential advisor on Thursday, according to Syrian state news agency Sana. The appointment was made under Decree No. 164, which named Abdi as an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic. Abdi is the most senior of several Kurdish figures appointed to state posts. Another Kurdish commander was made assistant defence minister for the eastern region earlier this year.
SDF Dissolution and Integration
The appointment came three days after Abdi announced the dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the completion of its integration with the Syrian military. Al-Sharaa and Abdi first agreed to fold the SDF into the central government in March 2025. That deal made little progress before its year-end deadline, spurring state forces to battle into the northeast in January, taking the cities of Raqqa and Deir Az Zor from the SDF. A ceasefire that ended the fighting placed Raqqa, Deir Az Zor and Hasakah under central government control and committed the SDF to join the defence and interior ministries under a 14-point plan. One Kurdish-led force, the YPJ, the SDF's women's units, asked to join the defence ministry but were told the army's structure has no units for women.
Kurdish Rights and Territorial Control
Alongside the military track, al-Sharaa issued a decree in January recognising Kurdish as a national language and restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds. This was the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria's independence in 1946. The SDF was the largest force still outside the army, and its dissolution leaves Damascus with formal authority over almost all Syrian territory. Reunifying the country has been al-Sharaa's central promise since former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
2 sources
Syria's al-Sharaa appoints Mazloum Abdi as presidential advisor
