The Danielle Mitterand Foundation is among the signatories of a call for Rojava. The call said: “At a time when Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) and its political project are facing an unprecedented military attack led by the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), it is essential to state this clearly: despite what is too often presented in media discourse, what is unfolding today in Syria is not a communal or religious conflict, but rather a confrontation between two visions and political projects for the future of Syria.
The government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa defends a centralized, anti-democratic “Syrian Arab Republic” that represses political and trade union rights as well as the rights of women and religious and ethnic minorities, and is preparing a powder keg in which the Islamic State (IS) organization is already rebuilding its destructive capacity. Western powers support this project while ensuring its subordination to their interests and entrenching Israeli occupation in the south and Turkish occupation in the north.”
The call added: “Yet another path exists: that of a decentralized, democratic Syria that grants a central political role to women and cultural and religious minorities, drawing in particular on the emancipatory experiences carried out in Rojava and northeastern Syria by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), as well as on more than fifty years of resistance to massacres and the totalitarian Al-Assad regime.
For over a year, throughout Syria, women’s rights activists, progressive forces, and Arab, Alawite, and Druze community leaders have expressed their rejection of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s project—far removed from the original aspirations of the revolution—and their support for the AANES model.
This outbreak of violence followed the abrupt interruption of negotiations that had been underway since March 10, 2025, between the AANES and its armed forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on one side, and the Syrian Transitional Government on the other. While AANES representatives reaffirmed their commitment to the unity of the country within a decentralized Syria, the government made no progress on any of the key points of the preliminary agreements: political decentralization and the preservation of certain specific political structures, political rights for minorities, and the safe return of internally displaced persons.”
The call continued: “As early as January 6, the armed forces of the Syrian Transitional Government attacked the two predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, and then launched a new offensive directly against AANES territories. In two weeks, dozens of civilians were killed in the attacks, homes and civilian infrastructure were targeted, and tens of thousands of people—mostly Kurds—were forcibly displaced. Several civilians and male and female fighters were cold-bloodedly murdered or beheaded by Islamist militias, in violation of international laws governing warfare.
A total war has therefore begun between the forces of the AANES and those of the Syrian Transitional Government. The historically Kurdish cantons of Kobane and Jazira are now under siege. Electricity, water, and internet have been cut off in Kobane, endangering the living conditions of 250,000 people. The risks of ethnic cleansing and cycles of retaliation are extremely high. The ceasefire declared on January 20 has not been respected by the transitional government, and attacks continue.”
The call underlined that “the SDF have lost more than 12,000 people in the fight against IS and had until now benefited from U.S. support as part of their role in the international coalition. This support ended on Tuesday, and the SDF are once again betrayed amid indifference and hypocrisy. In a statement, U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack transferred responsibility for the fight against IS to the Syrian government, even as, in recent days, hundreds of prisoners have been released by its forces.
Violence targeting the AANES and the Kurds is unfortunately not new. In March [2025], by instrumentalizing an uprising of former Assad-regime officials, government forces committed massacres against Alawite communities, which continued throughout the year. In July, Druze communities were targeted by violent attacks. These policies and massacres against ethnic and religious groups could constitute crimes against humanity under international law.
At the same time, al-Sharaa announced the integration of jihadist fighters into the regular army. All of these facts reveal the instability and the true political intentions of this transitional government, in a devastated country whose inhabitants nevertheless aspire to live together in peace.”
The call pointed out that “despite these facts, the European Union has just issued a check for 620 million euros to the Syrian government for the reconstruction of the country. These actions embody a diplomacy in which human rights and the aspirations of peoples are sacrificed on the altar of economic and geopolitical interests. Syria represents an oil windfall and a new market for France and other Western powers. It is also a strategic partner for the Israeli government—responsible for genocide according to the UN Human Rights Council’s commission of inquiry—with which agreements were concluded in Paris in early January under U.S. supervision.
We refuse to allow our leaders to side with a dangerous power and repress demonstrations in support of the Kurds. In northeastern Syria, a general mobilization was declared on Monday, January 19, and Kurds from all four parts of Kurdistan are now converging to support Rojava, the gains of its revolution, and the possibility of a democratic Syria. Throughout France, our parliamentary, political, trade union, and cultural actions must be strengthened to support this hope and the Kurdish population under attack in Jazira and Kobane.
The international community must take a firm stance to protect the populations, defend the rights and territories of the Kurds of Syria, defend the autonomy of the civil, political, and military institutions of the AANES, ensure the return of all displaced persons to regions occupied by militias supported by Turkey, and uphold peaceful coexistence and the self-determination of all peoples that make up Syria. The UN and its member states must guarantee the maintenance of a humanitarian corridor to the city of Kobane to deliver aid in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of the besieged population, as well as the restoration of running water and electricity.”
The first signatories are as follows:
Gilbert Mitterrand – President of the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation
Olivier Faure – Member of Parliament for Seine-et-Marne
Grégory Doucet – Mayor of Lyon
Jean-Luc Mélenchon – Co-president of the La Boétie Institute
Marine Tondelier – Regional Councillor of Hauts-de-France
Dylan Boutiflat – International Secretary of the Socialist Party
Marie Pochon – Member of Parliament for Drôme
Mathilde Panot – Member of Parliament for Val-de-Marne
Gabriel Amard – Member of Parliament for Rhône
Thomas Portes – Member of Parliament for Seine-Saint-Denis
Danielle Simonnet – Member of Parliament for Paris
Rémi Féraud – Senator for Paris
Laurence Harribey – Senator for Gironde
Geneviève Garrigos – Paris City Councillor and former member of Amnesty International
Zerrin Bataray – Lawyer and Regional Councillor of Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes
Hélène Conway-Mouret – Senator representing French citizens abroad and Vice-President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and National Defense
Cyrielle Chatelain – Member of Parliament for Isère and President of the Ecologist and Social Group in the National Assembly
Noël Mamère – Former Member of the European Parliament and former Mayor of Bègles
Antoine Back – Deputy Mayor of Grenoble
Pascal Troadec – Deputy Mayor of Grigny
Anna Pic – Member of Parliament for Manche and President of the Socialist Party group at the international level
Laetitia Hamot – Mayor of La Crèche
Michael Löwy – Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS
Barbara Glowczewski – Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS
Pierre Dardot – Philosopher
Ugo Palheta – Sociologist, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lille
Laurent Jeanpierre – Political scientist, Professor at Paris 1 University
Laurence De Cock – Historian
Geneviève Azam – Economist, member of the Board of Directors of the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation
Olivier Grojean – Senior Lecturer, University of Paris 1
Hamit Bozarslan – Director of Studies at the EHESS
Engin Sustam – Senior Lecturer, University of Paris 8
Alain Damasio – Writer
Erik Orsenna – Writer and member of the French Academy
Titi Robin – Musician and artist
Alessandro Pignocchi – Comic book author
Elise Thiébaut – Author and journalist
Laurence Thiriat – Film director
Corinne Morel-Darleux – Author and board member of the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation
Olivier Rabourdin – Actor
Guillaume Meurice – Comedian and radio columnist
Audrey Vernon – Comedian and actress
Peggy Pascal – Co-president of the URD group (Urgence Réhabilitation Développement) and Director General Véronique de Geoffroy
Céline Méresse – President of CRID
Anne Feray and François Sauterey – Co-presidents of MRAP
Tony Rublon – President of the Kurdish Friends of Brittany
Chloé Gerbier – Legal expert at Terres de Luttes
Murat Okundu – Spokesperson for People’s Bridge
Eric Buchet – President of Experts Solidaires
Gustavah Massiah – Founder of CEDETIM, former Vice-President of ATTAC
Aissa Rahmoune – Secretary General of FIDH
Roseline Kisa and Pascal Torre – Co-presidents of France Kurdistan
Sylvie Jan – Co-founder Les Soulèvements de la Terre