2026-01-17T21:24:54+00:00

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Shafaq
News– Paris

French
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for an immediate halt to the
Syrian government’s offensive against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),
stressing that France and Europe cannot support the “continuation of such an
approach.”

Since
December 2025, Syria’s Aleppo has experienced rising tensions between
governmental factions and the Kurdish-led SDF, resulting in at least 24 deaths
and around 129 injuries, according to the city’s Health Directorate.

In a post
on X, Macron stated that a united and stable Syria requires integrating the
SDF, “not waging war on those who fought ISIS alongside us.”

Une Syrie unie et stable passe par l’intĂ©gration des Forces dĂ©mocratiques syriennes en son sein et non par la guerre contre celles et ceux qui ont combattu Daech Ă  nos cĂ´tĂ©s. L’offensive des autoritĂ©s syriennes doit cesser immĂ©diatement.…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 17, 2026

He added
that a comprehensive agreement could be possible, describing the recent Syrian
presidential decree on Kurdish rights as a step in the right direction.

Earlier,
a decree issued by Syrian transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa recognized
Kurdish as a national language, restored Syrian citizenship to individuals of
Kurdish origin, and designated Nowruz, celebrated on March 21, as an official
public holiday. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES),
however, rejected the decree, arguing that it “cannot constitute a true
guarantee” for Kurdish rights.

Read more: March 10 Syria–SDF Pact tested as unwritten timeline nears end-2025