Damascus Condemns North and East Syria Conference, Accuses Organizers of Undermining National Unity
Damascus stressed that the event had dealt a blow to ongoing negotiations, announcing it would not attend upcoming meetings in Paris and refusing to negotiate with any party seeking to revive the former regime era under any guise.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Syrian government has sharply criticized the recent Conference on the Unity of Position of the Components of the North and East Syria Region, accusing the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and its partners of attempting to fragment the country and undermine ongoing national reconciliation efforts.
In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a government official reaffirmed that the right of citizens to peaceful assembly and constructive dialogue—whether on a regional or national level—is a constitutionally protected right that the state encourages, provided it is conducted within the framework of a unifying national project committed to Syria’s territorial integrity, unity of its people, and sovereignty.
The official stressed that religious or ethnic groups have the right to express their political views, hold meetings, and establish political parties within national legal frameworks, on the condition that their activities remain peaceful, refrain from taking up arms against the state, and avoid imposing their vision for Syria’s governance by force.
“The form of the state is not to be decided through factional agreements,” the statement read, “but through a permanent constitution approved by public referendum, ensuring equal participation of all citizens. Any citizen may present their vision for the state, but this must be done through public dialogue and the ballot box, not threats or armed force.”
Damascus Rejects Conference Outcomes
The Syrian government dismissed the gathering in northeast Syria as lacking a genuine national framework, characterizing it as a fragile alliance of actors disgruntled by “the Syrian people’s victory and the fall of the former regime era,” along with groups that have monopolized, or seek to monopolize, the representation of certain Syrian components through de facto control and foreign backing.
The statement accused these groups of convening such conferences to evade future obligations and to reject the principles of a unified state—one army, one government, and one country.
Damascus strongly condemned the hosting of “separatist figures and individuals involved in hostile acts” in violation of the March 10 agreement, holding the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its leadership fully responsible for the consequences. The government described the conference as an attempt to internationalize the Syrian issue, invite foreign intervention, and reimpose sanctions, holding DAANES accountable for its political, legal, and historical repercussions.
The statement said the meeting contravened commitments Damascus has already begun implementing, including the formation and operational launch of the Transitional Justice Authority, as well as the national dialogue process initiated in February aimed at steering Syria to safety.
Furthermore, the government accused the conference of evading ceasefire obligations, obstructing the integration of institutions, and serving as a cover for “systematic demographic change policies” targeting Syrian Arabs, allegedly carried out by extremist Kurdish factions taking orders from Qandil. It compared the move to pre-independence conferences that sought to divide Syria, asserting that the Syrian people, who defeated such schemes in the past, would once again thwart these plans as they move toward building the “Second Republic.”
Damascus concluded that the event had dealt a blow to ongoing negotiations, announcing it would not attend upcoming meetings in Paris and refusing to negotiate with any party seeking to revive the former regime era under any guise. It urged DAANES to engage seriously in implementing the March 10 agreement and called on international mediators to relocate all negotiations to Damascus as the sole legitimate and national venue for Syrian dialogue.
The two-day conference, held in Hasakah under the slogan “Together for Diversity that Strengthens Our Unity… Through Partnership We Build Our Future,” brought together representatives of the region’s Kurds, Arabs, Syriac Assyrians, Turkmen, Armenians, Circassians, and other communities.
According to its closing statement, read by Sheikh Hassan Farhan Abdulrahman of the Tayy tribe and the Council of Notables of the North and East Syria Region, the meeting took place at a sensitive stage for the nation, driven by a shared responsibility toward Syria’s present and future. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to a democratic national path based on diversity, partnership, and equal citizenship.
They highlighted the historical depth and cultural richness of North and East Syria’s communities, while recalling decades of marginalization, identity suppression, and demographic engineering under successive central governments. The statement condemned recent violations against the Syrian people, including atrocities in the coastal region, Suwayda, and against Christian communities, labeling them crimes against humanity that demand impartial, transparent investigations regardless of the perpetrators’ affiliations.
The conference emphasized that the region’s ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity is a source of strength that should be embedded in political and administrative structures to ensure representation for all components and strengthen social unity. It presented the Autonomous Administration as a participatory governance model capable of further development, and praised the sacrifices of the SDF, describing it as a necessary nucleus for a future professional Syrian national army that protects borders and territorial integrity.
Participants called for a new democratic constitution that safeguards Syria’s unity, enshrines diversity, and establishes a decentralized state with genuine political and administrative participation. They urged a review of administrative divisions to better reflect demographic, historical, and cultural realities, and insisted on a transitional justice process to enable the safe and voluntary return of displaced persons while rejecting demographic change.
The statement also underscored the need for women, youth, and civil society to play a central role in reconstruction, civil peace, and combating hate speech. It reaffirmed commitment to the (Abdi–Sharaa) Agreement and the Kurdish Unity and Solidarity Conference outcomes, and proposed convening an inclusive Syrian national conference to forge a unified identity for all Syrians.
In its conclusion, the document expressed the collective resolve to build a free, democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria—governed by the rule of law, preserving human dignity, and ensuring equality and freedom for all citizens.
