Struggle against ISIS and the Integration of Arab territories in the Autonomous Administration
Struggle against ISIS and the Integration of Arab territories in the Autonomous Administration

Author(s): Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Subject(s): Government/Political systems, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Politics and Identity, Identity of Collectives, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Autonomous Administration; North and East Syria; Arab majority areas such; Manbij; Raqqa; Kurdish towns; northern Syria; Derik; Efrin; Kobani; Syrian Democratic Forces;
Summary/Abstract: The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) was formed in September 2018 (Wilgenburg 2018). The administration includes Arab majority areas such as Manbij, Raqqa, parts of Deir al-Zor province and Kurdish towns of northern Syria (Reuters 2018). Although the People’s Protection Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel - YPG) initially only controlled Kurdish majority towns such as Derik, Efrin, Kobani and Amuda in 2012(Reuters 2012), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spearheaded by the YPG by 2018 already controlled a quarter of the country (Reuters 2018). This essay will explain how the project of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the YPG initially had a more Kurdish focus on Rojava (West Kurdistan1) but increasingly focused on gaining a more ‘Syrian focus’ after the integration of Arab territories in the autonomous project from 2013 to 2019 during the fight against ISIS. As a result, the YGP became the SDF, and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) became the SDC. Also, the geographical focus changed from Rojava to the northeast of Syria.

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