From the Birth of the SDF to Its Dissolution: Have Syria’s Kurds Become Victims of Regional Power Politics?
From the Birth of the SDF to Its Dissolution: Have Syria’s Kurds Become Victims of Regional Power Politics? From Kobani to Damascus: More than a decade of war, thousands killed, and a dream of self-rule now facing a new political reality The announcement by Mazloum Abdi , commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) , on August 25, 2026, that the SDF’s independent military mission has come to an end is more than the dissolution of a military organization. It marks the end of an important chapter in the modern history of Syria’s Kurds. For more than a decade, the SDF evolved from a military coalition fighting ISIS into one of Syria’s most important political and military actors. It controlled large parts of northeastern Syria, fought ISIS with direct U.S. support, and established a form of self-administration in the areas under its control. Now, after years of war, thousands of deaths, and reliance on foreign powers, the SDF is being integrated into the Syrian state’s military ...