Syria’s president appoints ex-commander of Kurdish-led SDF as advisor
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appoints Mazloum Abdi as presidential advisor, three days after dissolution of SDF.
Source: Al Jazeera · August 28, 2026 at 12:01 AM · AI-assisted report
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SYRIA, HASAKAH, RAQQA, DEIR AZ ZOR, 28 AUGUST 2026 —
Syria’s President Appoints Former SDF Commander as Advisor Amid Kurdish Integration Efforts
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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Mazloum Abdi, former leader of the dissolved Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a presidential advisor, state media reported on Thursday. The appointment follows Abdi’s announcement on Monday that the SDF had been dissolved and its forces integrated into the Syrian military.
The decree, issued as Decree No. 164, formalizes Abdi’s new role as “an advisor to the Presidency of the Republic,” according to Syria’s state news agency Sana. This move marks the latest step in Damascus’s efforts to reassert control over Kurdish-majority regions, including Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Az Zor, which were previously under SDF administration.
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Background and Context The appointment comes after a ceasefire in January ended clashes between Syrian government forces and the SDF, securing central government control over Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, and Hasakah. Under a 14-point plan, the SDF was to integrate into the defence and interior ministries, though one faction, the YPJ women’s units, remains unresolved due to structural constraints in the military.
Earlier in January, al-Sharaa also recognized Kurdish as a national language and restored citizenship to Syrian Kurds—a first since Syria’s independence in 1946. The SDF’s dissolution leaves Damascus with formal authority over nearly all Syrian territory, fulfilling a key pledge by al-Sharaa following the ousting of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Outlook Details not yet available.