Syria appoints ex-SDF commander Mazloum Abdi as presidential advisor

Syrian President Bashar al‑Assad has named former Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi as an advisor to the Presidency, a move announced by the state news agency SANA on Thursday. The appointment, carried out under Decree No. 164, follows the formal dissolution of the Kurdish‑led SDF and its integration into the Syrian Armed Forces, a process Abdi announced three days earlier.

Abdi, the highest‑ranking Kurdish official to receive a state post, will serve in a role that is less senior than the deputy defence minister position that President Assad offered him in January. In that earlier proposal, Abdi was to be appointed deputy defence minister and governor of Hasakah province to cement state control over the former SDF‑held provincial capital. The January offer was rejected by Abdi, who instead agreed to fold the SDF into the central government in March 2025.

The SDF, once the largest armed group outside the Syrian army, had been operating in the northeast of the country since 2015. Its dissolution leaves Damascus with formal authority over almost all Syrian territory. The move is part of President Assad’s long‑standing pledge to reunify the country, a promise he has made since the ousting of former president Bashar al‑Assad in December 2024.

The SDF was formally dissolved after a series of negotiations that began in March 2025. The talks stalled before the year‑end deadline, prompting the state forces to launch a campaign in January that seized the cities of Raqqa and Deir ez‑Zor from the SDF. A ceasefire that followed the fighting placed Raqqa, Deir ez‑Zor and Hasakah under central government control. The ceasefire also committed the SDF to join the defence and interior ministries under a 14‑point plan that would integrate the force into the national military structure.

Abdi’s appointment follows the earlier appointment of a former SDF commander as assistant defence minister for the eastern region. The new advisory role is the highest Kurdish post currently held in the government, although it is less influential than the deputy defence minister role that was offered earlier. The decision to appoint Abdi as an advisor rather than a higher‑ranking ministerial position reflects a compromise that allows the former SDF commander to remain involved in state affairs while avoiding a direct ministerial appointment.

The SDF’s integration has also prompted other Kurdish‑led units to seek inclusion in the national military. The YPJ, the SDF’s women’s units, requested to join the defence ministry but were denied, with officials citing that the army’s structure does not accommodate women’s units. The SDF’s dissolution marks the end of the only remaining Kurdish‑led force outside the Syrian army.

In January, President Assad issued a decree recognising Kurdish as a national language and restoring citizenship to Syrian Kurds, a significant step as the first formal recognition of Kurdish rights since Syria’s independence in 1946. The decree was part of a broader effort to address Kurdish grievances and integrate Kurdish communities into the national framework.

Abdi’s new role as presidential advisor places him in a position to influence policy and aid in the transition of former SDF personnel into the national military. The appointment is expected to smooth the integration process and reduce the likelihood of renewed conflict in the northeast. It also signals to international observers that the Syrian government is moving toward consolidating its control over the country’s territory and security apparatus.

The appointment comes amid ongoing efforts by the Assad regime to centralise authority and address ethnic tensions. The formal dissolution of the SDF and the appointment of former Kurdish commanders to state posts are seen as steps toward stabilising the country after years of civil war. The next phase will involve the practical integration of former SDF fighters into the Syrian Armed Forces and the implementation of the 14‑point plan that was agreed upon in the ceasefire.