Kurdish Women Fighters Negotiate Role Within New Syrian Government
2 sources across 2 countries · United Kingdom · United States
Who reported this
- Reuters
- Al-Monitor
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Female Kurdish fighters from the Women's Protection Units, known as the YPJ, are negotiating with Syria's new authorities to maintain an organized combat role following a government overhaul. The YPJ fought alongside the U.S. backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to remove Islamic State from northern and eastern Syria. While the SDF was formally dissolved and its commander was appointed as an adviser to President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the YPJ's future remains uncertain.
Nowruz Ahmed, the commander of the YPJ, stated that proposals to join the army as an independent brigade or battalion were rejected by President Sharaa. The YPJ is currently in discussions with the interior ministry to potentially join special operations forces. This follows a rejected or disputed proposal for the fighters to join a tourism police force. Noureddine al-Baba, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, stated that YPJ fighters would be welcomed into the ministry's ranks but noted that units would be deployed across Syria rather than limited to one geographic zone.
The negotiations occur amid significant Kurdish mistrust of the new administration. Concerns center on violence against minorities in 2025 and the former ties of President Sharaa to Al Qaeda's Syria branch. For many Kurdish women, the YPJ represents essential political and social gains achieved during the conflict.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The coverage focused on the administrative challenges of integrating a female combat force into a new government and the underlying ethnic and political tensions.
Sources
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