Ahmed al Sharaa and the struggle to consolidate a central government in all Syria

Syrian transitional President Ahmed al Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate the authority of the central government face growing challenges as the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) continue to consolidate their influence in the country’s eastern regions.

The Kurds reached an agreement with Damascus about six months ago (March 10), as al Sharaa, signed an agreement with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, in Damascus, brokered by the United States, aimed at ending more than a decade of de facto autonomy in the resource-rich areas of eastern Syria.

This agreement came amid the Trump administration’s shift toward addressing Turkish interests, as part of a rapprochement with Ankara led by the US ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack.

Washington was keen to avoid repeating the experience of Iraq, where the weakness of the central government made it difficult to confront ISIS when it emerged, and complicated the sectarianism in Iraq.

Therefore, the United States sought to end internal divisions in Syria to ensure its stability, however, recent developments, particularly the intervention of Syrian security forces following the outbreak of violent clashes in Sweida between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, followed by the killing incidents that occurs in the Syrian coast region, as all that contributed to a relative shift in the balance of power in favor of the SDF.

The faltering negotiations on the Kurdish issue have impacted Damascus’s foreign relations, particularly with the United States, which has recently shown greater flexibility toward the idea of ​​decentralization.

Observers believe that obtaining international support for Syria’s reconstruction will be difficult without US approval, given the continued presence of approximately 2,000 US troops in the country, most of them in areas under the control of the SDF, which was established in 2015 to fight ISIS.

A Kurdish source revealed that meetings held in Damascus last month between Ilham Ahmed, a leader close to the SDF, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani revealed a rigid Syrian government position.

The Syrian Foreign Minister refused to discuss any issue other than the dissolution of the SDF, despite the agreement including guarantees for the rights of the eastern population.

In a significant development, the new commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, met with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in eastern Syria, coinciding with the exchange of accusations between the two sides regarding mutual attacks near the Euphrates River.

For its part, the autonomous administration in the east cancelled its agreements with Damascus regarding the introduction of part of the government’s educational curriculum, a move seen as an indication of the SDF’s growing self-confidence.

Ahmed al Sharaa is seeking to strengthen his relations with China and Russia to compensate for any potential decline in US support.

He asserted that Ankara’s narrative of its success in convincing Washington to support Damascus has begun to fade, despite Türkiye’s continued influential role in the Syrian conflict.

In this regard, it was reported that former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called for the Syrian Kurds not to be viewed as a threat to Türkiye and suggested the possibility of integrating the SDF into the Syrian army.

However, he warned of the potential for a crisis between Ankara and Washington if Türkiye felt the United States was seeking to keep Syria weak, divided, or subject to a decentralized system—a scenario he believed would serve Israel’s interests.