‘Syria needs to be one land, one army, one community’
Syrian affairs analyst Omar Abu Layla, speaking from Damascus, says the central concern for the authorities is to establish a strong central government capable of governing all communities without resorting to special arrangements or parallel systems of power.
He noted that the government has made efforts to recognise the rights of the Kurdish minority, but stressed the importance of clearly distinguishing between Kurdish civilians and the Syrian Democratic Forces. According to Abu Layla, this distinction is essential to prevent further fragmentation of the state.
Kurds, he said, are an integral part of Syrian society, but armed groups cannot operate outside the framework of the national army if the country is to achieve lasting stability.
“Syria needs to be one land, one army, one community. That is what the entire international community believes in,” Abu Layla said, adding that a unified state structure is seen as the foundation for rebuilding the country after years of conflict.
