Damascus authority must fulfill its commitments towards agreement signed with SDF

On March 10, the Syrian Democratic Forces signed an agreement with Damascus, which included the return of the displaced to their homes.

As part of monitoring the implementation of the terms of this agreement, our agency conducted an interview with the co-chair of the Ain Issa City Council, Ayat Al-Abdullah, who called on the Damascus authorities to "fulfill their commitments" regarding the return of the displaced to their homes.

At the beginning of her speech, Al-Abdullah explained: "There is currently an official agreement between the Damascus Authority and the Syrian Democratic Forces, which guarantees the right of the displaced to a safe and voluntary return to their homes that they were forced to leave due to occupation. We consider this agreement the legal basis for a safe return for the displaced, including those residing in the Girê Spî camp, which hosts about seven thousand displaced people."

The agreement signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Damascus Authority included a specific clause guaranteeing the return of displaced persons to their homes. However, the implementation of this clause faces obstacles, such as Turkey's continued support for armed groups and its repeated attacks on areas in North and East Syria.

Ayat clarified that "what hinders the return is the continuation of Turkish attacks on the regions of North and East Syria, which indicate the Turkish occupation's intention to persist in its illegal presence on Syrian territory, and its implementation of demographic change and Turkification policies to ensure a long-term occupation of our areas."

She added, "The presence of Turkish military bases in the occupied areas of Syrian territory is the biggest obstacle to ensuring the safe return of Syrian displaced people to their homes."

The co-chair of the Ain Issa City Council, which oversees Girê Spî camp, demanded that the Damascus authority "stand by its commitments and expedite the implementation of the agreement signed with the Syrian Democratic Forces."

This, and the occupation of the city of Girê Spî and large parts of its countryside by Turkey and its mercenaries, following an aggression launched against it on October 9, 2019, has led to the displacement of more than 100,000 of its original residents. They currently reside in the cities of Raqqa and Tabqa and their countryside, in addition to the presence of 7,000 displaced people in the Girê Spî camp, who suffer from difficult living conditions after leaving their homes and losing their sources of income.

T/S

ANHA