UK delegation visits NE Syria, affirms ongoing ISIS threat

The UK delegation, which included Niamh Connelly, Secretary for Political Affairs at the UK Office for Syria, and Charlotte Dixon, Acting Consul General at the British Consulate in Southern Kurdistan, visited North and East Syria on August 5.

The delegation was received by Rubel Baho, Deputy Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations; Khaled Ibrahim, a member of the Executive Board; Rojhat Ali, advisor at the Semalka border crossing administration; and Lana Hussein, representative of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), according to the department’s website.

During the meeting, discussions focused on the general situation in Syria and in North and East Syria, as well as negotiations with Damascus aimed at reaching a decentralized, pluralistic Syria.

They also discussed the mechanisms for integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the institutions of the Autonomous Administration into a transitional Syrian government, and the importance of preventing the revival of radical terrorist ideologies like ISIS. The delegation stressed that all these issues require regional and international support.

The UK delegation stated: “We also recognize that the humanitarian situation in North and East Syria remains extremely difficult after more than thirteen years of conflict. The United Kingdom continues to provide support through humanitarian programs focused on protecting civilians, improving camp conditions, and enhancing community resilience. We will continue to support humanitarian efforts in response to needs on the ground.”

The delegation emphasized: “The situation in North and East Syria remains complex and challenging. ISIS continues to pose a real threat to communities in Syria, Iraq, and other regions, and it continues to commit abuses against civilians. The United Kingdom, as part of the Global Coalition against ISIS, is working with its partners, including the SDF, to counter this threat and prevent its return.”

The UK delegation thanked the SDF, the Co-Chair of the Department of Foreign Relations, Ilham Ahmed, and officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria for their cooperation and facilitation of the process of transferring one of its citizens from North and East Syria to the UK.

At the end of the meeting, a British child from ISIS families was handed over to the UK delegation, based on an official handover document signed by representatives of both the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the United Kingdom.

A-H 

ANHA