The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, announced the reach of an agreement with the new administration in Damascus to abandon the idea of division in Syria during ongoing negotiations between the two parties.

Abdi told the French news agency, AFP, on Wednesday, January 8, that the SDF agreed with the new authority in Damascus to reject “any separation projects that threaten the unity of the country.”

In a written statement to the agency, which was transmitted by France 24, Abdi added that a “positive meeting” took place between the leaders of both parties at the end of last month in Damascus, saying: “We agree that we are for the unity and integrity of Syrian territory and against any division projects that threaten the unity of the country.”

A delegation from the SDF, which is primarily composed of Kurdish fighters and supported by Washington, previously met with the new commander in Damascus, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on December 30, 2024, in the first talks between the two sides since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Abdi told the French agency: “We discussed together the future phase after the fall of Assad’s regime and how to rebuild Syria based on solid foundations.”

He emphasized support for the new administration’s efforts to establish stability in Syria to create an environment for constructive dialogue among Syrians, stressing that it is the new administration’s responsibility to intervene to cease fire throughout Syria, according to France 24.

At a time when Abdi speaks of consensus with the new administration, military confrontations continue between the factions of the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the SDF in eastern Aleppo province, which have lasted for over a month, resulting in the former gaining control over the areas of Manbij and Tal Rifaat in the Aleppo countryside.

Turkey considers the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which formed the basis of SDF, a “terrorist organization” that is an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) established in Turkey on a radical nationalist basis nearly half a century ago.

The commander of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, had previously expressed readiness to engage in military integration with the Syrian opposition, stating to the British newspaper, The Times, that his forces, which consist of 100,000 members, are ready to dissolve themselves and join the new Syrian army.

For his part, the commander of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that he agrees to merge all military factions in Syria under the umbrella of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, but he stipulated that this integration be in the form of individuals, not groups.

During an interview with the Saudi channel “Al-Arabiya,” he noted that the SDF will join the Syrian Ministry of Defense, indicating that the Military Operations Administration is negotiating to “resolve the crisis in northeastern Syria.”