Kobanê Administration denounces the transitional government’s appointments without popular will

The Autonomous Administration of the city of Kobanê issued a statement regarding the appointment of a mayor to the town of Chalabiya by the Syrian transitional government, the protests organized by the people against this appointment, and the attacks by transitional government forces on the protesters.

Peyman Elûş, a member of the Kongra Star Kobanê city Coordination, read the press statement in front of the building of the Kobanê Autonomous Administration, which included the following:

“According to the agreement signed on January 29 between the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) and the Syrian transitional government, integration was to be ensured and the will of the people of the region was to be recognized. At the same time, the administrators of institutions were to be determined by the people of the region from the local population. On this basis, the governor of Heseke and some other administrators were appointed from among the local population.

However, this process has not been implemented in the Kobanê region, and administrators of local institutions are being appointed from outside. So far, one administrator for the region and the administrators for the Sirrin and Chalabiya areas have been appointed without these decisions being discussed with the people of Kobanê.

These steps taken by the administration of the Aleppo Governorate are not in line with the spirit of the January 29 agreement. The governorate administration is not complying with the obligations of the integration agreement made between the Syrian transitional government and the SDF. These practices imposed by the governorate are obstructing the integration process.

While the people of Kobanê and Chalabiya came together to express their stance after the Aleppo Governorate appointed institutional administrators to the Chalabiya region, military units affiliated with the transitional government intervened harshly and prevented the people from making a statement. Not content with this, they also carried out attacks against the residents and attempted to detain some individuals.

As the Kobanê administration and its people, we condemn these practices. We call on the transitional government to comply with the provisions of the January 29 agreement and to implement the integration process accordingly. We also clearly state that we will not accept this situation in any other way.”