Syria on the Brink: Ceasefire Deal Collapses After SDF Walkout

 

The Syrian army took full control of Aleppo Governorate, then Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, following fierce clashes with the SDF militia. This prompted external states to exert pressure toward a new integration agreement, replacing the expired March 10 agreement between the two sides.

Today, January 19, after a five-hour meeting between Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi to finalize the agreement, Abdi refused implementation and left Damascus. This led to heightened military tensions between the two parties, amid the escape of ISIS prisoners and mobilization of Kurds in Iraq and Turkey in support of the Kurdish militia.

📜 Ceasefire and Full Integration Agreement
Syrian Arab Republic

Ceasefire and Full Integration Agreement

1. A comprehensive and immediate ceasefire on all fronts and contact lines between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, alongside the withdrawal of all SDF-affiliated military formations to the eastern Euphrates region as a preliminary step for redeployment.

2. Full administrative and military handover of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa governorates to the Syrian government, including all civil institutions and properties, with immediate decisions to retain current employees within the relevant Syrian ministries. The government commits to non-retaliation against SDF personnel and civil administration in both governorates.

3. All civil institutions in Hasakah Governorate shall be integrated into Syrian state institutions and administrative structures.

4. The Syrian government shall take control of all border crossings and oil and gas fields in the region, with protection ensured by regular forces to restore resources to the Syrian state.

5. Immediate integration of all SDF military and security personnel into the structures of the Syrian Ministries of Defense and Interior following necessary security vetting, with equivalent ranks, financial entitlements, and job benefits, while preserving the distinctiveness of Kurdish regions.

6. The SDF leadership commits not to incorporate remnants of the former regime into its ranks and shall submit lists of such officers and personnel present in northeastern Syria.

7. Issuance of a presidential decree appointing a consensus candidate as Governor of Hasakah to guarantee political participation and local representation.

8. Withdrawal of heavy military presence from the city of Ayn al-Arab/Kobani, formation of a security force from local residents, and retention of a local police force under the Syrian Interior Ministry.

9. The Syrian government assumes full legal and security responsibility for detainees and communities affiliated with ISIS, as well as demobilized forces under prior agreements.

10. Adoption of a list of nominated leaders submitted by the SDF to assume senior military, security, and civil positions within the central state structure to ensure national partnership.

11. Welcoming Presidential Decree No. 13 of 2026, which affirms recognition of Kurdish cultural and national rights, addresses civil and legal issues of stateless individuals, and restores accumulated property rights from previous decades.

12. The SDF commits to expelling all non-Syrian PKK leaders and members from Syrian territory to safeguard sovereignty and regional stability.

13. The Syrian state pledges to continue combating terrorism (ISIS) as an active member of the international coalition, with joint coordination with the United States to ensure regional security and stability.

14. Efforts will be made to reach understandings that guarantee the safe and dignified return of residents of Afrin and Sheikh Maqsoud to their areas.

Source: SANA
Syrian Press Report