The Syrian government has announced an immediate nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has taken almost complete control of the country, according to Syrian state media.
The ceasefire ends nearly two weeks of fighting and forms part of a wider 14-point agreement that will see the SDF integrate with Syria’s military and state institutions.
Speaking in Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the agreement would allow Syrian state institutions to regain control of three eastern and northern governorates – al-Hasakah, Deir Ezzor and Raqqa.
The announcement followed a meeting between al-Sharaa and the US special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in Damascus. Barrack hailed the deal as a step toward a “united Syria.”
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was expected to attend the meeting but could not travel due to weather conditions, with his visit postponed until Monday, al-Sharaa said.
The Kurdish-led forces established their autonomous administration during the Syrian civil war, almost a decade ago, with strong support from the United States, which armed and trained the SDF as its main local partner in the fight against the Islamic State group (Isis).
With US military support, the SDF has driven Isis out of much of northeastern Syria and continues to govern Kurdish and Arab-majority areas.
Under the agreement, signed by al-Sharaa and Abdi, Syrian authorities will take over civilian institutions, border crossings and oil and gas fields that support Kurdish self-rule.
The SDF’s military and security personnel will be integrated into Syria’s defense and interior ministries after vetting, while Damascus will assume responsibility for prisons and detention camps holding thousands of foreign Isis fighters and their families.
Damascus also reiterated pledges to recognize Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, including granting official Kurdish language status and marking the Kurdish new year as a national holiday – the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence from France in 1946.
The agreement also confirmed Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State.
The agreement follows months of stalled negotiations after a previous unification effort failed and came after Syrian government forces moved into Raqqa and nearby oil facilities following the withdrawal of the SDF on Sunday.
Al-Sharaa said last week that it is unacceptable for a militia to control a quarter of the country and hold its main resources of oil and commodities.