Mazloum Abdi, Commander-in-Chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), affirmed that institutions affiliated with the Autonomous Administration will continue their work and will be integrated into state institutions in accordance with the agreement concluded with the Syrian government. He stressed that directors and employees of the Autonomous Administration will remain in their positions and will not be dismissed.
In an address to the residents of Hasakah and the displaced people of Afrin and Serekaniye, delivered on Monday, 9 February 2026, Abdi provided clarifications regarding the agreement signed with the Syrian government on 29 January 2026, saying: “We wrote in the agreement that the directors and employees of the Autonomous Administration will remain in their places.”
Regarding the fate of the Autonomous Administration’s bodies, Abdi explained that these bodies will be converted into directorates. He noted the formation of a committee comprising the co-chair of the Jazira Region within the Autonomous Administration and a governor, adding that representatives of the state arriving from Damascus will negotiate with them on the mechanism for this transformation.
With regard to the Semalka border crossing between the Kurdistan Region and Rojava (northeastern Syria), Abdi confirmed that the crossing “will remain as it is,” explaining that its administration, staff, and security will continue their work. He added that an office of the Syrian interim government will be established there, and that a delegation from Damascus will oversee certain state-related matters, such as passport checks.
On the military front, the SDF Commander-in-Chief noted that the agreement stipulates the formation of a division within the Syrian Democratic Forces composed of three brigades, with one brigade to be deployed in Hasakah, another in Qamishli, and a third in Derek.
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