The General Council of the Syrian Democratic Council (MSD or SDC) released a statement on military escalation and its implications for the Syrian political process.
The MSD statement, which holds the political and military decision-makers within the interim authority fully responsible for the violations in the country, and lists minimum requirements for restoring the political process and rebuilding trust, includes the following:
“Syria is going through a decisive transitional phase that is supposed to lead to a new social contract based on partnership and justice. However, the approach adopted by the interim authority in Damascus indicates a continued reliance on military force as the primary means of resolving political issues. This approach has effectively undermined the political process since its very inception.
The violent events in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo constituted a stark example of this approach. Armored vehicles and heavy weapons were extensively used in densely populated civilian areas, resulting in massacres and serious violations. These events are not isolated incidents. Rather, they are part of a broader pattern that has previously manifested in the coastal region, Homs, Suwayda, and Rif Dimashq, confirming a recurring tendency to address political disagreements through military solutions instead of dialogue.
In light of these developments, the Syrian Democratic Council holds the political and military decision-makers within the interim authority fully responsible for these violations. This responsibility includes the targeting of civilians and vital medical facilities, as well as the blatant breach of the agreements of March 10 and April 1, 2025. Such violations do not merely constitute a breach of those agreements; they set a dangerous precedent that threatens the credibility of any future understandings or political dialogue.
Defending the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods is, in essence, a defense of all Syrian cities and of the principle that Syria must be a state for all its citizens. Targeting the model of participatory local governance represented by these two neighborhoods constitutes an attack on the vision of a unified, democratic, and decentralized Syria.
On this basis, the MSD affirms the following demands as minimum requirements for restoring the political process and rebuilding trust:
1- An immediate cessation of all military operations in civilian areas, alongside ensuring full protection for civilians and essential service and humanitarian facilities, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
2- The launch of an independent, transparent international investigation into all violations and massacres committed, with full accountability for all political and military actors responsible. This must be accompanied by guarantees of non-recurrence through independent national and international civilian oversight mechanisms.
3- Ensuring the safe and dignified return of displaced persons, providing fair compensation to those affected, and initiating the reconstruction of damaged areas.
4- Reaffirming full commitment to the agreements of March 10 and April 1, 2025, as a foundation for any dialogue, and resuming serious negotiations within a comprehensive intra–Syrian framework, free from coercion, imposition, or subjugation.
5- Working toward the restructuring of the military and security institutions on professional, national foundations that protect the country rather than threaten its people, and that are subject to elected civilian political authority. This is a fundamental prerequisite for building a state governed by the rule of law and citizenship.
6- Initiating efforts to convene a comprehensive Syrian national conference.
Syria’s future can only be built through dialogue and an inclusive national project, not through battlefields or a unilateral security-driven approach. The unity of Syria will be achieved through recognition of its diversity and shared governance, not through the reproduction of repressive centralization. The MSD will continue to work toward this objective, in defense of all Syrians and their right to a free and dignified homeland.”