Syria president appoints Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi as adviser

Syria’s new Islamist authorities, who toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in 2024, have been seeking to extend state control across the country.(AFP) — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi as a presidential adviser, state media said Friday, days after Abdi announced the dissolution of his Kurdish forces under an integration deal with Damascus.The Education Ministry also published a decision authorizing Kurdish-language instruction in public and private schools.“Mustafa Khalil Abdi is appointed as adviser to the presidency of the republic,” said the decree, signed by Sharaa and published by state news agency SANA.Abdi, who has been known by several names, was for years the leader of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, the U.S.-backed fighters at the forefront of the battle against the Islamic State group.On Tuesday, he announced the SDF’s dissolution as part of a January deal with Sharaa to integrate Kurdish forces and their civilian administration into the state.Syria’s new Islamist authorities, who toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in 2024, have been seeking to extend state control across the country.The integration deal was a major victory for Sharaa but ended the Kurds’ long-held hopes for official autonomy.U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Tuesday that “this is what real integration looks like … former counterparts with differing points of view crafting a diplomatic solution to strengthen the sovereign nation of Syria.”“Securing substantive roles for our valued partners,” including Abdi, within the government “pays due respect to their leadership, the sacrifices of our Kurdish partners, and the constructive contribution they have made to regional stability,” Barrack added, without indicating what role Abdi would have.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads