No guarantees: What do Kurds think of the Damascus-SDF agreement?
Kurds in northeastern Syria are cautiously waiting to see what comes next as Damascus and the SDF take their first steps towards a fraught integration.
12
02, 2026
3
02, 2026
After the SDF: How can Raqqa mend its social fabric?
As Raqqa embarks on a future without the SDF, the northeastern Syrian city faces the delicate work of reintegrating former fighters and repairing social fractures left by years of shifting rule.
23
01, 2026
In encircled Kobani, the specter of siege resurfaces
Encircled by government forces and without basic services, residents of Kurdish-majority Kobani fear a return to the city’s darkest days as the end of a fragile ceasefire approaches.
21
01, 2026
Agreement under fire: Can the latest SDF-Damascus ceasefire hold?
A four-day ceasefire marks the latest effort to integrate SDF and Syrian government forces and avoid a dangerous military showdown, but its success hinges on each side’s willingness and ability to commit to the political process.
10
01, 2026
From negotiation to escalation: Aleppo tests the limits of Damascus-SDF relations
This week’s escalation in Aleppo city comes amid a deepening political crisis between Damascus and the SDF, particularly after the latest round of negotiations to implement the March 2025 agreement stalled.
2
12, 2025
In northeastern Syria, artists fight to preserve a cultural renaissance
In northeastern Syria, a growing community of artists—dancers, musicians, filmmakers—fights to preserve the region’s diverse heritage and sustain more than a decade of cultural revival.
6
11, 2025
A struggle over education continues in northeastern Syria
More than a month into the academic year in northeastern Syria, students enrolled in a number of schools remain locked out of their classrooms as a years-long struggle continues over what and how students learn in areas held by the SDF.
9
10, 2025
In Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods, another setback for SDF-Damascus integration
A ceasefire halted clashes between Syrian government forces and the SDF in two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Aleppo city this week, but the outburst of violence highlighted how far the two sides are from implementing stalled integration agreements.
18
06, 2025
‘Zero season’: Syrian farmers face worst drought in decades
Syria’s worst drought in decades has wiped out rain-fed crops and diminished yields across the country, devastating farmers and raising the risk of food shortages.
30
05, 2025
Damascus and the AANES: Complex negotiations at a pivotal moment
Planned talks between the AANES and Damascus were postponed this week, while efforts to implement the March 10 agreement remain slow and complex. Two separate delegations from the northeast aim to negotiate, while Damascus still rejects decentralization.