Despite continuous negotiations in recent months between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria on the one hand, and the Syrian Interim Government on the other – alongside sustained American and regional sponsorship of the 10 March agreement – implementation remains slow and largely incomplete. A broad range of obstacles stand in the way of progress, from security and military integration to institutional arrangements, governance design and the constitutional declaration.
Divergent priorities
The SDF insists on full implementation of the eight-point agreement signed on 10 March by General Mazloum Abdi and Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa – notably the recognition of minority rights, their inclusion in the constitution, and the return of displaced communities. Damascus, however, appears to prioritise the integration of the security and armed forces above all other files. Between these two positions, the process has moved forward only incrementally, despite repeated meetings in Damascus and its prominence during Al-Sharaa’s early-November visit to Washington and his talks with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking at the Middle East Security and Peace Forum at the American University of Duhok last Wednesday, Abdi said the parties hoped to finalise implementation by the end of this year. He reported “significant progress” on military and security integration, adding that only “final details” remained before a formal written announcement. He emphasised that North and East Syria possessed the will to implement the agreement – and urged the Interim Government to demonstrate similar resolve.
Abdi nevertheless acknowledged major impediments: deep mistrust, continued risks to the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafieh districts of Aleppo, government measures excluding key actors, and the lack of progress on the return of displaced people – especially from Afrin. He argued that Syria would not revert to a centralised system after fifteen years of war, saying the matter was “settled” for the peoples of the north-east.
In a panel at the same forum, Ilham Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Autonomous Administration’s Foreign Relations Commission, argued that the Interim Government had taken “no practical steps” towards implementation, describing its stance as the primary obstacle. She called for a revision of the constitutional declaration as the foundation for a permanent constitution, noting ongoing debate over models of governance – centralised or decentralised. She criticised the government for “avoiding real change” by promoting Local Administration Law No. 107.
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A US–Turkish–Syrian framework
Following Al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington, US Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said that a trilateral meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Turkish and Syrian counterparts, Hakan Fidan and As’ad al-Shaybani, set out a framework to integrate the SDF into the Syrian state. In a statement on X, Barrack said this pivotal session – held after Trump’s meeting with Al-Sharaa – outlined the next phase of the US–Turkish–Syrian framework, namely the integration of the SDF into Syria’s emerging economic, defence and civil architecture.
Expectations of a breakthrough
Ahmad Bakro, Head of the Political Commission in Idlib Province, told +963 that Syrian diplomacy was now prioritising core files in a phased manner under international and regional auspices. He said Damascus sought to “cool down” contentious issues by delaying disagreements until a basis for consensus could be found under an international umbrella – potentially encouraging wider openings between Damascus and the north-east, especially on security and political files.
Bakro believes recent understandings suggest movement towards implementation and a de-escalation of military and political tensions. He argued that the priority was a balanced path towards decentralised governance that preserves Syria’s unity, prevents further conflict, and channels efforts into stabilisation, reconstruction and the return of displaced communities.
Structural and political barriers
Political analyst Kamiran Dilo, based in Germany, highlighted deep challenges facing implementation. He argued that progress depended on resolving displacement from Afrin, Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad, and the return of Syrian state authority to areas currently held by Turkish-backed groups. He warned that goodwill alone was insufficient and called for concrete guarantees from Damascus – especially on displacement and wealth-sharing between centre and periphery. Without these, he said, implementation would remain “difficult and complex”.
Following Al-Sharaa’s Washington talks, the Interim Government’s Foreign Ministry said Trump and Al-Sharaa discussed accelerating the agreement, including the integration of SDF units into the army. Abdi later said he had discussed those outcomes with Barrack, stressing the SDF’s commitment to accelerating integration and describing Syria’s accession to the international anti-ISIS coalition as pivotal for ensuring the group’s lasting defeat.
Yet political writer Ali Al-Sweid, speaking to +963 from Kuwait, argued that implementation remained unlikely. He said Turkey’s objective was to dismantle the SDF, while the SDF linked its integration to comprehensive constitutional changes. He added that Al-Sharaa’s visit placed him “under scrutiny”, facing mounting pressure to re-establish state authority throughout Syria
Al-Sweid maintained that no breakthrough was imminent, citing recent skirmishes between government forces and the SDF. He attributed the stalemate to the Interim Government’s reluctance – under Turkish influence – to accept sweeping state reforms demanded by Syrians. He dismissed government participation in counterterrorism as “purely intelligence-driven”.
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Slow progress amid intermittent clashes
Talks have coincided with periodic clashes. Last week, the SDF said three of its fighters were wounded in fighting with Defence Ministry units on the Ghanem Ali front in rural Raqqa, accusing government forces of using drones and heavy weapons.
Despite the slow pace and sporadic violence, hopes remain among Syrian circles that the two sides will eventually conclude a comprehensive integration process and implement the agreement – with both repeatedly affirming the necessity of dialogue and rejecting a return to armed confrontation.
