Syrian President Appoints Kurdish Leader Mazloum Abdi as Advisor

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appointed Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi as an advisor to the presidency, a significant development in the country's evolving political landscape. The appointment was announced via a decree published by the state news agency SANA.

Abdi, who has been known by several names, formerly headed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This militia, once Syria's most trained and organized military force, was instrumental in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group, which was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019. The SDF, formed in 2015 with U.S. backing, officially dissolved itself earlier this week as part of an agreement with the Syrian government.

The appointment follows the overthrow of long-time President Bashar al-Assad by rebels in December 2024, leading to al-Sharaa's installation as the new president. Al-Sharaa has been working to extend state control over the entire country. In January, the new Syrian government and the SDF reached an agreement to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the state apparatus, a move hailed by the U.S. as a historic milestone.

This integration deal marked a significant victory for the Syrian president and effectively ended the Kurds' long-standing aspirations for self-rule. Abdi agreed to the deal after clashes in January where Kurdish forces lost significant territory to government troops. During these hostilities, the Syrian president issued a decree recognizing Kurdish national rights and establishing Kurdish as a national language, an unprecedented step since Syria's independence in 1946.

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Mustafa Khalil Abdi is appointed advisor to the presidency of the republic.