US, Russian Forces Mobilize in NE Syria

Fighters of the Syrian opposition factions loyal to Turkey during training exercises in the countryside of Manbij city in Aleppo (AFP)
Fighters of the Syrian opposition factions loyal to Turkey during training exercises in the countryside of Manbij city in Aleppo (AFP)
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US, Russian Forces Mobilize in NE Syria

Fighters of the Syrian opposition factions loyal to Turkey during training exercises in the countryside of Manbij city in Aleppo (AFP)
Fighters of the Syrian opposition factions loyal to Turkey during training exercises in the countryside of Manbij city in Aleppo (AFP)

In northeastern Syria, US and Russian forces mobilized with the aim to deter Turkey from carrying out a new attack against the Arab-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). While US forces moved on the ground, Russian warplanes scrambled in the air.

A prominent Kurdish official in northern Syria revealed that Kurdish forces are in intensive contact with the countries involved in the Syrian crisis, especially those in the Arab world.

The official explained that they are looking to put an end to Turkish interference in Syrian affairs.

The civil and military administration in the city of Manbij in the eastern countryside of Aleppo governorate has documented the outcome of the attacks on its areas of influence, warning that the Turkish operation will lead to the displacement of the indigenous population and the city’s religious, sectarian and ethnic components.

Turkey’s armed incursion into Syrian territory “will prolong the Syrian crisis and increase its complexity, in addition to destabilizing areas and giving an opportunity for ISIS cells to reorganize themselves again,” Abdulkarim Omar, head of the Kurdish department of foreign relations, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“We are communicating with the international community and the countries concerned with the Syrian war, especially inside the Arab world, to play a role in resolving the Syrian crisis at the expense of the growing Turkish and Iranian role,” said Omar.

“Turkey and Iran have special agendas and interests that are far from the interests of the Syrian people, their values, principles and revolution,” he explained.

Omar called on the international community to pressure Turkey to curb its attacks, warning that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's project for Syria will lead to a demographic change in the north of the country.

Turkey plans to resettle a million displaced Syrians after their voluntary return to their country.

As for field developments, a US force toured the front lines in the town of Tamer in the northern Hasakah governorate.

In contrast, the Russian army reinforced the presence of its ground and air forces at the airport of Qamishli city in Hasakah.



Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
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Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)

Geneva has hosted a third “roundtable” of meetings involving Sudanese political and civil groups aimed at bridging the gap between the country’s warring parties. These talks, coordinated by the French organization Promediation, follow similar meetings held previously in Cairo and Geneva. The primary goals are to negotiate a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians.

The two-day meetings, which began on Monday, include representatives from the Coordination of Democratic Civil Forces (Tagadum), the pro-army Democratic Bloc coalition, and armed movements aligned with the bloc. However, some groups have announced their boycott of the meetings.

The Democratic Bloc has shown conflicting stances on attending the Geneva talks. Mohammed Zakaria, spokesperson for the bloc and a member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), announced his group’s decision not to participate.

Omar Khalafallah, a leader in the Democratic Unionist Party and another bloc spokesperson, refuted Zakaria’s statement, insisting that the bloc would attend the meetings to promote a national vision.

A source within the Democratic Bloc told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meetings revealed significant internal divisions in the coalition. The JEM, led by current Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, appears to be charting its own course, which the source described as a form of defection.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sharif Mohammed Osman, a leader in Tagadum and the political secretary of the Sudanese Congress Party, explained that the meetings seek to achieve consensus on ending the war through negotiated solutions, starting with a humanitarian truce to ensure aid delivery and the opening of safe corridors.

These measures are considered preliminary steps toward a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, he underlined.

A wide array of civilian leaders are participating in the talks, including key figures from Tagadum, such as Sudanese Congress Party leader Omar Al-Dukair, Federal Gathering Party leader Babiker Faisal, and head of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council Al-Hadi Idris.

Osman expressed optimism that the participants would issue a unified final statement addressing the peaceful resolution of the war and agreeing on a humanitarian truce to facilitate aid delivery.

In October, Cairo hosted a similar meeting, which resulted in a final statement signed by the participating groups, except for the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi faction and the JEM – Jibril Ibrahim faction, which refused to endorse the Cairo declaration despite attending the discussions.

Promediation, a French organization supported by the French and Swiss foreign ministries, has played a consistent role in Sudanese affairs. Since June 2022, it has organized roundtable discussions, initially focusing on negotiations between Darfuri armed movements before expanding its scope to include Sudanese political and civil forces in the wake of the war.