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US Committed to Supporting Stability in Northeast Syria

US Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani (Kurdistan Presidency)
US Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani (Kurdistan Presidency)
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US Committed to Supporting Stability in Northeast Syria

US Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani (Kurdistan Presidency)
US Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani (Kurdistan Presidency)

The US administration renewed its commitment to exert efforts aimed at a political solution to the conflict in Syria, pledging to maintain stability in northeast Syria, and the delivery of stabilization assistance to liberated areas to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

This came during the visit of US delegation to northeast Syria, headed by the Acting Assistant Secretary Joey Hood, joined by Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Special Representative for Syria Aimee Cutrona, Deputy Envoy for Syria David Brownstein, and White House National Security Council Director for Iraq and Syria Zehra Bell.

The delegation met with senior officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), ranking council members and tribal leaders from Raqqa, Coalition military counterparts, and humanitarian actors.

The State Department issued a statement indicating that the Acting Assistant Secretary emphasized the US commitment to support all efforts toward a political resolution of the Syrian conflict.

Hood also reiterated that the United States would continue to be a leader in the Syrian humanitarian response while working with like-minded countries to ensure the re-authorization of cross-border assistance into Syria.

On Sunday, the delegation arrived in Erbil where it met with Kurdistan region President Nechirvan Barzani, to discuss the situation in Iraq and Kurdistan.

The meeting also addressed the Baghdad-Erbil relations, the upcoming legislative elections, ISIS resurgence, the efforts of the international coalition, and the situation in Syria.

The Kurdish presidency stated that the two parties agreed that ISIS remains a serious threat to peace and security in Iraq, adding that Baghdad and Erbil need the international coalition’s support to defeat ISIS.

The delegation affirmed that Washington would continue to assist and support its allies in the region against ISIS, noting that it is important for the Syrian Kurdish parties to maintain dialogue aiming to reach an agreement.

The delegation also reiterated the US support for Peshmerga forces in their battle against ISIS, stressing, during its meeting with Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the need to activate the joint coordination centers between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army.

Discussions also covered the latest developments in Syria. The delegation reiterated the importance of the ongoing talks among Kurdish groups in Syria towards resolving their outstanding issues.

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Hemedti Aide: Ready for Talks to End Sudan War if Seriousness Shown

Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Hemedti Aide: Ready for Talks to End Sudan War if Seriousness Shown

Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A senior adviser to the commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said the group is open to serious negotiations with the government based in Port Sudan to end the country’s devastating conflict, now in its third year, provided there is genuine political will from the other side.

The remarks by Ezz El-Din Al-Safi, who is also a member of the RSF’s negotiating team, come as international actors prepare to meet in Brussels on Thursday in a bid to lay the groundwork for a ceasefire.

The talks are expected to include the European Union, African Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain.

“Negotiations could begin with confidence-building measures and credible arrangements,” Al-Safi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Dialogue remains the best path to ending a war that has no winners, only losers, both the people and the nation.”

He said the RSF is ready to discuss the location, timing, and possible mediators for peace talks, but stressed that any engagement must be met with equal seriousness by Sudan’s military-backed government.

However, Al-Safi cautioned that his group would not accept talks that merely allow the opposing side to regroup and secure external support to resume fighting.

“We cannot enter into a dialogue that gives the other party time to reorganize and rearm,” he said, adding that the RSF remains “at its strongest” on the battlefield.

Sudan’s army has conditioned any peace negotiations on the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration, a humanitarian agreement signed in May 2023. The deal, brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, has since been marred by mutual accusations of violations from both the military and the RSF.

Meanwhile, the RSF is pushing ahead with plans to form a rival administration in areas under its control.

Al-Safi, a senior adviser to RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said the group is nearing the formation of what he called a “government of unity and peace.”

He added that over 90% of the preparations for the announcement have been completed.

“The delay in announcing the government is due to ongoing consultations among members of the Founding Sudan Alliance [Tasis], which supports this move,” Al-Safi told Asharq Al-Awsat. “It’s not because of internal disagreements, as some have suggested.”

Asked about the planned capital of the parallel government, Al-Safi declined to name the city but suggested it would not be Khartoum.

“There are cities more beautiful than Khartoum,” he said. “From a strategic perspective, I believe the capital should be temporary and capable of accommodating all institutions of government.”

He only noted that the proposed city is located in territory controlled by the Tasis alliance.

The RSF’s moves come amid growing fears that the fragmentation of Sudan will deepen if parallel authorities are entrenched, further complicating efforts to reach a comprehensive peace.