Urgent Appeal for the Protection of the Kurdish People in Syria

Open Letter to President Trump

Subject: Urgent Appeal for the Protection of the Kurdish People in Syria

Dear President Trump,

My name is Professor Mohammed Ihsan, and I serve as Secretary General of the Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO), an institution founded in 1958 in the aftermath of the Bandung Conference and grounded in the principles of non‑alignment, self‑determination, and social justice. I write to you in this capacity, informed by both the institutional responsibility I carry and my professional experience in law, human rights, and post‑conflict governance.

For more than six decades, AAPSO has provided a moral and political platform for the peoples of Africa and Asia in their shared struggle against colonialism, external domination, and injustice. Today, amid renewed global inequality and protracted conflicts, the organization continues to advocate for a just, democratic, and multipolar global order aligned with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the aspirations of the Global South.

My professional life has focused on the defense of human dignity in contexts of conflict and transition. I am a scholar of international law and political science, a genocide expert, and have served in several ministerial roles within the Kurdistan Regional Government, including as Minister of Human Rights, where I led efforts to document mass atrocities and recover victims of the Anfal campaign. I currently serve as Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London, Senior Visiting Professor at Yale University, and Honorary Senior Professor at the University of Exeter. Across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, my work has focused on post‑conflict reconstruction, reconciliation, governance reform, and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, when people peacefully demonstrated against Bashar al‑Assad, the country has endured years of unimaginable suffering. When Ahmad al‑Sharaa later assumed power, many Syrians hoped that the situation would improve. The Kurdish community in Syria, in particular, reached an agreement on March 10, 2024, raising expectations that their rights and security would finally be respected.

Unfortunately, these hopes have not been realized. In recent weeks, government forces loyal to President al‑Sharaa have engaged in intense clashes with Kurdish fighters and security forces in Aleppo’s predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods, including Sheikh Maqsud and Ashrafiyeh. These operations have involved heavy artillery, closures of essential services, and the forced evacuation of Kurdish residents, leading to massive displacement and credible allegations of arbitrary detentions and violence against civilians. Hundreds of Kurdish fighters have left Aleppo after days of fighting, and thousands of Kurdish residents have reportedly been detained by government forces amid shelling and security sweeps in their neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled their homes under imminent threat of renewed assault, raising grave humanitarian and human rights concerns. 

In my capacity as Secretary General of AAPSO, and informed by decades of work in human rights, post‑conflict reconstruction, and genocide prevention, I respectfully request that the United States, under your leadership, take a clear and decisive stance in support of the Kurds. This may include political engagement, diplomatic pressure, and concrete measures to protect the fundamental rights and security of Kurdish communities.

I also wish to ask directly: what is your position on what Ahmad al‑Sharaa is doing to the Kurds of Syria, and how does the United States intend to respond to ensure their protection and dignity?

The Kurdish people, and all those in Syria who aspire to live with safety, justice, and human dignity, urgently need the support of the international community. I appeal to you to act decisively to uphold these values, which lie at the heart of both global governance and the moral responsibility of nations committed to justice.

Respectfully,

Professor Mohammed Ihsan
Secretary General, Afro-Asian People’s Solidarity Organization (AAPSO)

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kurdistan24.