German Envoy Speaks With Mazloum Abdi, Voices Deep Concern Over Aleppo

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - As fighting intensifies in Aleppo, Germany’s Special Envoy for the Middle East held a phone call with Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces, expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation and stressing the urgent need to halt hostilities and safeguard civilian lives.

Tobias Tunkel, the German Foreign Ministry’s Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, discussed the complex and volatile situation in Aleppo during a telephone conversation with Mazloum Abdi. The call focused on the sharp escalation of violence and the growing risks facing civilians in the city.

In a statement published on his official X account, Tunkel confirmed that he had contacted Abdi and conveyed Germany’s profound concern over the renewed violence in Aleppo. During the conversation, the German official emphasized the necessity of implementing the March 10 agreement and called for an immediate cessation of fighting.

Tunkel also underlined that Germany remains in continuous contact with all relevant parties and is urging them to stop the fighting without delay, resume dialogue, and protect civilian lives at any cost.

The March 10, 2025 agreement was signed by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi. It includes several key provisions, notably a nationwide ceasefire across Syria, the integration of civilian and military institutions in northern and eastern Syria into state institutions, and formal recognition of Kurdish rights as those of an indigenous component of the country.

Implementation of the agreement has faced multiple obstacles, with both sides accusing one another of failing to fulfill its provisions. In recent developments, the Damascus government submitted a written proposal to the SDF addressing the integration of SDF forces within the framework of three military divisions. Discussions were expected to address this proposal and other details of the agreement, particularly as the deadline for its implementation approached.

The German envoy’s call came as fighting continued in Aleppo, particularly in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, which have been under sustained attack since Jan. 6. In a public statement, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said residents of the two neighborhoods have been mounting what it described as a “heroic resistance” against attacks by forces affiliated with the Damascus government.

According to the administration’s statement, the attacks have involved systematic shelling of civilian homes, mosques, schools, hospitals rendered out of service, and essential service facilities. It said the assaults constitute serious violations of international law and amount to war crimes, noting that women and children have been among the casualties and that a neighborhood hospital was directly targeted.

The administration expressed full support for a statement issued by the General Council of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, which warned that the attacks aim to commit massacres, impose forced displacement, alter Aleppo’s demographic structure, and undermine the April 1 agreement. The statement further said extremist groups participated in the assaults, citing symbols and slogans raised by some factions as evidence of affiliations with ISIS, describing this as an attempt to revive the group in the two neighborhoods.

It also criticized the silence of the international community and the guarantor powers of the March 10 and April 1 agreements, saying such silence amounts to indirect complicity and encourages the continuation of violence.

Against this backdrop, Germany’s call for restraint and implementation of existing agreements underscores mounting international concern as fighting persists in Aleppo and civilian lives remain at grave risk.