Syria's Sharaa appoints former SDF chief Mazloum Abdi as presidential adviser

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Mazloum Abdi, the former commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a presidential adviser under a decree issued Thursday evening, days after the SDF announced it had been dissolved as an independent military force. Abdi announced on August 25 from the People's Palace in Damascus that the SDF's military mission had been completed and that its structures had been integrated into the Syrian army and state bodies. The process began with a March 2025 agreement covering civilian and military structures in northeastern Syria and culminated in a broader ceasefire and integration deal reached in January 2026. Integration was reported to have been completed on August 21, with the SDF officially dissolved four days later. Parallel to the political settlement, the Damascus government issued Decree No. 13 in January, guaranteeing constitutional rights for Kurdish citizens and permitting Kurdish-language education. No further details on Abdi's advisory portfolio were immediately available.