ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Recent unity talks between the Kurdish ruling and opposition parties in northeast Syria are part of a “national” framework approved by all ethnic and religious groups in the region, Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) co-chair Amina Omar said on Tuesday.
Initiated in 2014 and resumed in late 2019, talks between the ruling the Movement for a Democratic Society (TEV-DEM) and the opposition Kurdish National Council (ENKS) seek to mend thorny relations between the two groups, who have been at odds for several years.
The SDC – the political arm of the Kurdish-led, multi-ethnic Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – is composed of Kurds, Arabs, and other ethnic and religious groups in the region.
Omar insists that the council is “for all Syrians” from differing ethnic and political backgrounds, and there is wide support for the unity talks.
“The SDC is a national, Syrian and democratic project. It is for all Syrians. It includes many political figures and individual figures from all ethnic and religious groups in Syria such as Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, and Assyrians as well as their political parties,” she said.
“The Kurdish issue in Syria is a national one and should be resolved as per international deals. SDC members are in agreement on this point,” added Omar.
Arabs make up 50 to 70 percent of the SDF, according to a 2019 report by the US-based Wilson Center. However, there are no statistics on the demographic make-up of the SDC.
Ties between the ENKS and the TEV-DEM have been frayed for years, with the former accusing the latter of being unwilling to share power.
Mediated by Masoud Barzani, then-president of the Kurdistan Region, power-sharing talks began between the ENKS and the TEV-DEM in 2014.
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced a new round of unity talks in late October.
Russia’s sedition plans
A Pentagon Inspector General report in March stated that the majority of Arab communities “passively support the SDF and its associated civil institutions,” but are under pressure from state actors to renounce support for the group.
CENTCOM spokesperson US Army Maj. John Rigsbee later told Al-Monitor that “the Syrian regime and Russia are the most active in attempting to influence local populations to sever ties with the SDF.”
Omar confirmed to Rudaw English that Russia is seeking “sedition” in northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, by recruiting Arabs to use against the SDF.
“There are Turks, Russians, Americans, Syrian regime and Iranians [in Syria]. Each of these forces pursue their interests and extend their power there on the account of the other. Russians have visited many tribal leaders in order to establish a force from them,” she said.
“The aim of the Russians is to defend their interests and widen their influence in the region. ..they want to create sedition between the SDF and its Arab components and probably use these fighters against the SDF itself in the future.”
Omar also said that Moscow is making these efforts public, having held several meetings with Arab tribesmen.
Rudaw English has reached out to the Russian foreign ministry regarding Omar’s claim.