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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed a ceasefire agreement reached on Friday between the Syrian government and the SDF terrorist group while urging all parties to move quickly to put the deal into effect and fully stick to what they signed up to.
In a statement delivered by his spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Guterres was said to have welcomed the agreement and expressed appreciation to those who helped bring it about.
He also appealed for “all sides to work swiftly to ensure the implementation of the agreement,” as the U.N. framed the deal as a step toward a calmer path in northeast Syria.
The statement linked the agreement to several priorities, including what it described as the peaceful integration of northeast Syria, the rights of Syrian Kurds, and the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of displaced people.
It also pointed to the need for Syrians to come together around efforts to rebuild the country while keeping attention on the wider impact on regional stability.
Guterres, through the statement, also called on the parties to “fully uphold their commitments,” while emphasizing that civilians should be protected and able to live safely “in dignity and free from fear.”
According to the information released, the Syrian government and the SDF terror group agreed on a comprehensive arrangement that includes a ceasefire and a framework for the group’s gradual integration into military and administrative structures.
The latest ceasefire followed a period of escalating fighting.
The Syrian Army launched an operation against the SDF terrorist group on Jan. 16 in areas west of the Euphrates River. Later, expanding east of the river with the participation of tribal forces, which the account said led to most territories previously held by the group coming under government control.
A prior ceasefire and integration agreement reached on Jan. 18 had set out several steps, including a full SDF withdrawal from the eastern provinces of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, the transfer of public institutions in Hasakah to state authority, and the placement of border crossings and energy resources under central government control.
It also included provisions for individual SDF members to be integrated into security forces.
Clashes then broke out again on Jan. 19 after the SDF refused to comply, according to the account.
The government announced on Jan. 20 that it had declared a ceasefire and gave the group four days to move ahead with integration, setting the stage for the newer agreement announced on Jan. 30.
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