Syria’s Al-Sharaa calls for national unity but US-backed Kurdish force is missing from dialogue

Syria’s interim president Ahmad Al-Sharaa on Tuesday held a two-day conference to chart a path forward after the fall of the Assad-led regime. However, the US-backed Kurdish forces were not invited to the talks.

Syria’s interim government has demanded that the Kurds disarm and join a unified national military force as a condition for participating in the dialogue.

Kurd-led SDF not invited

Though some Kurdish leaders were invited to the national dialogue, the Kurdish-led and US backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were not extended the invitation.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a US-backed militia that controls much of Syria’s northeast. Kurds make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population.

The interim president called for unity and the rebuilding of his fractured nation during the conference. “Just as Syria has liberated itself by itself, it is appropriate for it to build itself by itself,” interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said.

Al-Sharaa extends offer to join  interim government

President Al-Sharaa has extended an offer to the Kurdish population to join the interim government, promising equal rights and proposing the integration of Kurdish-led forces into a unified national army.

Long awaited ’national dialogue'

Hundreds of people attended the long-awaited “national dialogue” conference in Damascus on Monday and Tuesday, with participation from various religious and sectarian groups from across Syria.

Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in an address to conference participants, said, “Syria calls on you to stand together in unity and cooperation to heal its wounds, soothe its pain, and support its recovery.”

The conference released 18 recommendations for the new government, though none appeared to be binding.

These covered various issues, including drafting a new Syrian constitution, placing all weapons under state control, and reviving the struggling economy.

The closing statement also condemned Israeli military action in the southern part of the country following the fall of the Assad regime.

Arab and Western leaders have urged Syria’s new rulers to establish a representative government that includes all religious sects and ethnic groups before they can fully restore ties with Syria.

Earlier, Al-Sharaa had pledged to hold a national dialogue on forming a new government.

Syrian leaders see the conference as the first step towards drafting a new constitution, a process that Al-Sharaa has said could take up to three years.

The interim government set a 1 March deadline to start forming a representative government, but the conference was put together quickly.

Syria, a Sunni majority country with many minorities

Syria is a Sunni Muslim-majority country but has many religious and ethnic minorities, including Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Kurds.

The rebel coalition ousted former president Assad and took control of Syria in early December.