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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

Kurds in Syria 'sacrificed' says head of Kurdish Institute of Paris

Kurds rallied in Qamishli on 20 January 2026 against a Syrian government advance, before the announcement of a truce deal that many now see as a betrayal. © AFP - DELIL SOULEIMAN

Syrian government forces have seized swathes of territory from Kurdish forces in the north of the country, effectively dismantling more than a decade of self-rule by the Kurds. The head of the Kurdish Institute of Paris tells RFI that the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, who fought alongside the United States to combat Islamic State, have been not only abandoned, but sacrificed.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Defence Ministry announced a ceasefire with Kurdish forces and gave them four days to agree to integrate into the forces of President Ahmed al-Sharaa – the Islamist military strongman who came to power in December 2024.

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