Sabri Nabo: Turkish Occupation prevents return of 100,000 IDPs to their homes

Sabri Nabo, the co-chair of Ain Issa City Council and himself displaced from the city of Girê Spî/Tal Abyad, discussed the obstacles preventing the return of displaced people from Girê Spî and its surrounding countryside to their homes during an interview with ANHA's agency.

Sabri Nabo confirmed that more than 100,000 residents of Girê Spî/Tal Abyad and its surrounding countryside were forcibly displaced after the Turkish occupation attacks on their areas and its occupation of their city in late 2019. He pointed out that they are living difficult lives under the conditions of displacement and residing in uninhabitable houses in cities; Raqqa, Tabqa, and their surrounding countryside, in addition to the approximately 7,000 displaced people in the Girê Spî camp, established by the Autonomous Administration on November 22, 2019.

Nabo added that the biggest obstacle to the return of the displaced to their homes is the presence of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries, and the mercenaries' control over the lives of the residents there, not to mention the daily violations against those who remain in those areas, including killing, kidnapping, and looting of property.

Sabri mentioned two incidents in the occupied areas during the last five days: the attack on teacher Jumaa al-Hussein, the principal of al-Sabbagh School in occupied Girê Spî, by unknown assailants in military uniform, and the kidnapping and killing of a citizen from the Bu Assaf tribe in the Suluk district of Girê Spî, named Hael al-Joudiya. He was kidnapped from his home and later found murdered and dumped near Suluk. Locals accused settlers from Deir ez-Zor belonging to the Turkish-backed "Hawks of the Sunna" faction of killing him.

Sabri pointed out that the March 10 agreement signed between the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the interim government, which stipulated in one of its clauses the return of displaced persons, renewed their hope of returning to their areas. However, to this day, they have not seen any implementation or application of it. Turkish bases remain, and mercenaries continue to wreak havoc in the city of Ras al-Ain.

Sabri concluded by saying that there will be no safe return as long as the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries remain.

ANHA