The Syrian Democratic Council has launched a series of public consultations across North and East Syria.
We attended a meeting in Heseke to record complaints, feedback and proposals from Arab tribal leaders, the Kurdish opposition and other key actors: rojavainformationcenter.com/2020/09/transl…
The meetings are a response to recent protests against the security situation and AANES policies in the turbulent Deir-ez-Zor region, newly-liberated from ISIS.
But they're also an attempt to unite Syrian locals excluded from the ineffectual Geneva and Astana processes.
Criticism of AANES focused on service provision, representation and the security situation in Deir-ez-Zor.
Attendees were united in suspicion of the Damascus government, and positively received what one Arab sheikh described as a newly-open approach from AANES.
Discussions will continue across all seven regions of NES, culminating in a major conference to determine new directions and policy proposals for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
See here for a translation of the day's discussions:
"The theories Turkey are advancing [Ankara attackers coming from Syria] are not true. Turkey wants to legitimize its attacks. The primary aim of the attacks is to destroy our people's existence."
"These attacks are war crimes. All intl. agreements, the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, say civilian infrastructure and civilians should not be a target. It is forbidden. But as has been seen, Turkey violates this. No other states raise their voice against this."
"Turkey wants to create refugees, change the identity of this region. This is a mode of genocide. Murder, creating poverty and hunger, cutting off water, cutting off the essentials of life, aim to destroy our people, make them refugees, make that no one can live in this land."
Across January 27th and 28th, the city of Qamishlo hosted North and East Syria's inaugural technology fair.
24 inventors and companies participated in the event, which was organized by the telecommunications company Rcell, presenting a variety of applications and devices.
The exhibited projects ranged from large-scale solar panels for agricultural use to innovative applications in health care, as well as surveillance technology for private owners.
Among the the exhibitors there were also students of the University of Rojava.
Recently graduated from the faculties of Mechatronics, Engineering, and the Institute of Technical Sciences, they presented their technological innovations including a smart farming project and...
Yesterday, Iraq's Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced the repatriation of 584 people from al-Hol camp, marking Iraq's first repatriation mission since October. The camp's Iraqi population now stands at 26,875, comprising over half of the total inhabitants.
Those leaving al-Hol camp will be sent to al-Jada camp in Iraq's Nineveh governorate. With this most recent repatriation mission, the total number of Iraqi citizens repatriated from NES since 2017 rises to 11,484. This includes those repatriated from prisons as well as camps.
A few days after Iraq's new government, under PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, was sworn in on October 27th, the Minister of Migration & Displacement suspended the return of displaced Iraqis from al-Hol camp, citing the need for a more robust humanitarian and security mechanism.
US' @CENTCOM have announced that the "Free Syrian Army" killed ISIS' leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, in Daraa province back in October. ISIS have now declared Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi as their new leader.
The threat from ISIS sleeper cells remains high in NES. Yesterday, AANES' Justice and Reform Office announced a state of alert due to intelligence that ISIS is preparing for an attack on an ISIS prison in Qamishlo city.
Back in September, Turkey killed the two co-chairs of the Justice and Reform Office using a drone.
"The Shammar is not just a traditional tribe; a big part of the tribe is involved in politics".
The Shammar tribe is AANES’ closest ally of the Arab tribes in NES. RIC spoke with journalist Tarif Obeid and Arwa Ahmed al-Salah, both from the Shammar, regarding ...
... the significance of Shammar-AANES relations, as well as of that between their respective defence forces: the Sanadid and YPG-YPJ.
Recently, the Sheikh of Shammar in Syria, Hamidi Daham al-Hadi, died aged 86. Hamidi had cultivated strong relations with Kurds and Kurdish groups in NES, prior to the establishment of AANES, and later oversaw the integration of Shammar’s militia, the Sanadid, into the SDF.
The Turkish army is shelling the city of Kobane. Some local sources have reported that there are casualties.
Shelling has been ongoing in other places across NES as well.
Last night, the Turkish army shelled Jirnik and Xerze villages in Amude's countryside, and Chetel, Qermane, Melek, and Delil villages in Darbasiyah's countryside, causing damage to civilian houses.
Also shelled last night was the village of Rotaan, in the countryside of Tirbespi, where the Syriac Sotoro Forces Academy is located.
In this past week, Turkey had already shelled this village, as well as the Syriac Church of Maharkan and the Syriac village of Malla Abbas.