​​​​​​​On the anniversary of Manbij's liberation… democratic project confronts Turkey's occupying aspirations

The liberation of Manbij blocked Turkey's control of the Syrian depth through its ISIS ally, in a participatory process between components that succeeded in ridding the city of malicious territorial policies and building a pluralistic participatory democratic system under repeated Turkish threats. Its liberation constituted a strategic victory, blocking the most important roads of ISIS among its stronghold (Raqqa City) and abroad through Turkish territory, and a major turning point in the war against the global threat with international participation; The alleged ISIS "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq was destroyed in Baghouz in Spring 2019.

The city faces the threat of Turkish occupation, which seeks to implement schemes that ISIS mercenaries have been unable to implement, under military crowds of Turkish-backed mercenaries, and an intelligence and media war pursued by Turkey against the Autonomous Administration built by the combination of components in the Manbij and all of North and East Syria.

Experience of AA and democratic project

The city and its countryside enjoyed a civil council with the beginning of the liberation of the city, which was formed in April 2016, to cover the problems of removing the ruins of destruction in the city and activating the service and security institutions on which the council worked in the post-liberation phase.

The Council has prioritized the formation of local councils in villages, towns and neighbourhoods in an organizational campaign, with approximately 400 councils, in addition to receiving hundreds of displaced persons fleeing the area, contributing to their return to their villages and providing services to them.

With the beginning of 2017 and nearly a year after the liberation of the city from the ISIS grip, as part of the expansion of the Council's work and the involvement of representatives of all components, components of Circassian, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen announced their civil administration of their legislative, executive and judicial councils.

The Civil Administration included the co-chairmanship of the aforementioned councils; along with committees of bodies in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria AANES, "Health, Women, Economy, Youth and Sports, Defence, Culture and Art, Social Affairs and Labour, Local and Municipal Administration, Education, Interior, Foreign, Martyrs' Families, Finance.”

By the sixth anniversary of the liberation of the city of Manbij from ISIS; ANHA’s agency met with the co-chair of the Executive Council of Manbij and its countryside Mohammed Khair Sheikho to talk about the conditions of the region and the administration's work in the light of the repeated Turkish threats.

Referring to life under ISIS’s occupation of Manbij between 2014 and 2016, Sheikho says that "the situation in Manbij is like other cities occupied by ISIS; is the black color that overwhelmed all the aspects of living life, sidelined the service and organizational side at the time, unfortunately ISIS and other armed factions were not interested in the matters of citizens, ISIS was working to obliterate all the features of life from the closure of schools to the prevention of service matters. "

"We have worked to create a social spirit among the components in Manbij and its countryside following the liberation process; It is understood that these components under AA coexist without any problems and respect each other's customs and traditions contrary to what they were during the control of ISIS, the people were able in this context as Manbij components used to live together without any discrimination and we in the administration worked to get these things back on track. "

On the participation of the components in the administration, Sheikho said, "On the other hand, we have worked on the need for all components to participate in the management of the Manbij region and create a balance on this subject, as well as women's active participation in all civil and military institutions to reach 50%."

Mohammed Khair Sheikho addressed Turkish threats, saying "Manbij and its countryside enjoy great security and stability. The escalation of Turkish threats affects the economic aspect of the region, Capital and companies in addition to market movement take Turkish threats seriously and this affects citizens' daily life and economic acceleration In addition, the threats revive the sleeper cells in Manbij that strike security and stability, The heroic role of the Internal Security Forces, the watchful eye for maintaining the security of the city, which is seriously following the work of these subversive cells and groups, can be mentioned here. "

Mohammed Khair demanded that the Sheikhs and the people of Manbij be wary and vigilant against any sedition that is ignited, adding, "We are the children of Manbij and we are entitled to live in and manage them and protect them from sedition hand in hand with the administration and the people so that we can have a good life."

On the position of the clans and their role in the administration in Manbij, ANHA’s agency met with Sheikh of  Beni Saeed clan in Manbij Ibrahim Shalash, who confirmed that the clans merged with the SDF immediately after the liberation of Manbij and then the clans turned into an effective force in liberating other Syrian areas from ISIS, The clans had a great role to play among the institutions of administration, starting to serve citizens and rehabilitating the region, noting that the SDF had been given a great role for the clans.

Sheikh Ibrahim Shalash explained that clan notables have played a significant and effective role in resolving disputes and problems that have emerged over the past years.

On Turkey's ongoing threats against Manbij, Ibrahim Shalash considered that these threats affected Syria in general and that it was imperative to stand together to protect the country, land, honor from greediness of the occupiers in Syrian territory, adding, "We must join hands with the SDF to protect our homeland."

T/S

ANHA