A thirteen member Swiss delegation, including politicians, writers, artists and human rights defenders, returned home after travelling to Rojava on 30 January to observe on the ground the attacks carried out by armed groups affiliated with the Damascus authorities and the developments unfolding in the region.
The delegation’s spokesperson, Franziska Stier, a member of the Basel Stadt Grand Council from the BastA Party, and Julien Berthod, Vice President of JUSO, the youth organisation of the Swiss Socialist Party (SP), spoke to the ANF about their observations.
Rojava has united Kurds from across Kurdistan
Franziska Stier, the spokesperson of the Swiss delegation, said they travelled by air from Switzerland to Erbil (Hewlêr). She said, “Our plane landed in Erbil. Until we crossed into Rojava, we passed through several checkpoints, but we reached Rojava without any problems. Now, all of Kurdistan is in a state of unity, which made our journey easier. Because there is a shared sensitivity around Rojava, we were facilitated everywhere.”
Stier said the delegation was deeply moved by the approach of Rohilat Efrîn, a member of the General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), who welcomed them upon their arrival in Rojava. Stier said, “When we reached the border line, Rohilat Efrîn, who was responsible there, received us. As a delegation, we were frankly anxious because we did not know what we would encounter. Rohilat Efrîn welcomed us so warmly that all our fears disappeared. I would like to thank her once again for the warm reception.”
Stier noted that after crossing into Rojava, they spent most of their time in Qamishlo. She said there was a daytime curfew, but that at night, everyone, especially young people, was out in the streets. She also said, “On the day we arrived, there was a daytime curfew, but at night, everyone, especially young people, was in the streets. People came together, talked, sang songs, and danced. People want to be free. No one wanted the administration of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS). I can say that there are a struggle and a resistance in Rojava.”
Stier added that the purpose of the night watches was to provide protection against sleeper cells operating in the cities. She also said, “These watches are necessary against sleeper cells, because society needs to be protected from attacks.”
Kurds paid the heaviest price in the fight against ISIS
Franziska Stier said: “People shared their experiences with us. Our meeting with representatives of Kongra Star was also very important for us. Women once again told us that capitalism and the situation on the ground are making their lives incredibly difficult. Through us, they asked that the following message be conveyed to Europe. They stated clearly that they would never submit to capitalism and that they would resist the very end.
In every institution we visited, and with everyone we spoke to, the same point was raised. We defeated ISIS together with the International Coalition in 2015. Now states are acting alongside Ahmed Al Sharaa (Al-Jolani), and as a result, people feel abandoned. At the same time, they also said that there are people around the world who stand in solidarity, and that these people and peoples stand with the Kurdish people. Yes, a joint struggle was waged against ISIS, but the heaviest price in that war was paid by the Kurdish people.”
No reliable information is coming out of Kobanê
Franziska Stier said that it has not been possible to obtain reliable information from Kobanê due to the siege imposed on the city, which became known worldwide for its resistance in 2014. She said, “We witnessed resistance there. We could see resistance everywhere. However, information cannot be obtained from Kobanê because the internet has been cut. I cannot say anything definitive about Kobanê, but I can say that in other parts of Rojava, people told us that they could see the resistance and that this has become a source of hope for them.
All international powers must move into action for Kobanê, and a humanitarian corridor to the city must be opened without delay.”
Stier added that as a delegation, they encountered many displaced families on the streets. She said, “We came across many displaced people from Afrin (Efrîn). Of course, the first priority is the urgent need for emergency aid supplies so that people can sustain their lives. We need to convey all the demands and appeals of the people there. Humanitarian assistance must be delivered. For that to happen, the attacks must first be brought to an end. It bears repeating that an urgent humanitarian corridor must also be opened for Kobanê.”
Stier stressed that in their conversations with people, the most frequently voiced demand was to return to their own lands. She also said, “The return of displaced people to the places they were forced to leave must be guaranteed. We cannot expect this only from the Rojava administration. Countries that hold influence in the Middle East must also exert pressure to make this happen. This is an important point. Beyond this, media outlets in other countries are also trying to present the war being waged against the people there as if it were a legitimate position. This must be protested at the highest level.”
Protests are boosting morale for the resistance
Franziska Stier said they observed that solidarity actions carried out around the world in support of Rojava have had a significant and positive impact on the people in Rojava. She stressed that such actions must continue until the situation in Rojava becomes clearer, adding that the danger has not yet passed.
Stier said: “We must also take the general call for action issued by the Rojava administration as our point of reference in Europe. We need to struggle so that politics in the countries where we live takes steps in this direction. While we were holding meetings in Qamishlo, many people told us that the actions in Kurdistan, and especially the actions carried out in Europe, have had a serious and positive impact on Rojava. This is important.
Countries that previously stood with Rojava are now standing with HTS. HTS, or the transitional state mechanisms it is part of, are constantly violating ceasefires and agreements. This is the period we are living through. We must secure the right to the life of the people in Rojava. For this reason, it is important that actions in Europe continue.”
European society must make a decision
Franziska Stier stressed that the delivery of humanitarian aid to Rojava and the urgent opening of a humanitarian corridor to Kobanê are imperative. She said that European society must also make a decision on Syria. Stier also said: “First of all, urgent assistance must be delivered to the people there. The second point is that immediate steps must be taken to improve the situation of those who have been displaced there. Conditions must be created for people to be able to return to their homes. The presence of jihadist structures constitutes a form of pressure. People are forced to defend themselves and are living in a position of defence and resistance, outside the bounds of normal life.
European public opinion and the global community must make a decision on Syria. Which side will they stand on in the war being waged there? Do they want a Syria in which all different identities live together, or will they prioritise a reactionary jihadist structure? If the jihadist groups that have recently grown stronger in Syria carry out attacks in Europe and elsewhere in the world, how will accountability be ensured? The return of those who went from Europe to join ISIS is a strong possibility. Europe must recognise this danger.”
Kurds feel they have been betrayed
One of the members of the delegation was Julien Berthod, Vice President of JUSO, the youth organisation of the Swiss Socialist Party. After returning from Rojava, he took part in all events organised in Lausanne and Geneva in support of Rojava, delivering speeches about the situation on the ground. Our interview with Berthod also took place at an event organised in solidarity with Rojava.
Berthod also attended a solidarity evening organised in cooperation with the Red Crescent to increase humanitarian aid to be sent to Rojava, with the support of the municipalities of Renens, Vevey and Lausanne. He said he felt the excitement of travelling to Rojava for the first time and that he was deeply affected by what he encountered there.
Berthod said: “When we first arrived in Qamishlo, everything appeared normal from a military perspective. But once we went inside the city, we encountered a completely different reality. Thousands of families had been forced to take refuge in schools and mosques. The medicines were insufficient. Thousands of young people were on duty to protect the families there. Hundreds of young people were standing guard in the streets, armed, to protect families, children and women.”
Berthod said that they met both with the local population and with political representatives in the region and added: “We met with multiple political representatives and institutions. For example, there was an office of the administration of Southern Kurdistan (Başur) there, and we met with them as well. All the officials we spoke with shared the same message. They said that Europeans had left them alone and that they felt, in a sense, betrayed. They told us, ‘We may not be very strong, but we will resist the attacks to the end. We will continue to fight to the very end.’”
Protests in Europe must continue
Julien Berthod said that during their meetings, they learned that actions organised in Europe are being closely followed in Rojava. Berthod also said: “In our conversations with people there, we learned that they are following the protests taking place in Europe. They conveyed their thanks, saying that these actions have had very important and positive effects. They said that protests in Europe are creating pressure on the Damascus authorities, on international actors and on European public opinion. We observed the impact of this on the ground as well. Protests must continue until the situation in Rojava becomes clear and everything there is put back in order. The process is at a critical stage, and the agreement reached with the Damascus authorities has not yet entered into force.”
There is a need for everything in Rojava
Julien Berthod said he was deeply saddened by the situation of the people he encountered on the streets in Rojava. He continued “From a humanitarian perspective, what I witnessed there was truly heartbreaking. This applies to all minorities there, and especially to the Kurds, because they are going through an extremely difficult period. They need everything. Here, we will do whatever we can for those people, both materially and morally.”
Berthod said that everything he witnessed had deeply affected him and stressed that he would intensify his efforts for Rojava. He also said: “My main aim was to go there, assess the situation on the ground, and then come back here to tell my friends and comrades about what I saw. I want to step up my struggle for the Kurds. I will begin with my immediate circle of friends. Of course, I also want to bring this issue onto the agenda of the party’s youth organisation. I believe that our youth structure will also become actively involved in efforts to support Rojava.”
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