Syria to appoint SDF commander Mazlum Abdi as presidential adviser

DAMASCUS, Syria — The Syrian presidency is preparing two decrees under which Mazlum Abdi, the commander of the formally dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces, will be appointed an adviser to President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to information from Damascus. A second decree will place Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of the SDF's foreign relations office, in the People's Assembly. Sources said Abdi's advisory role has not been assigned a defined mandate or area of responsibility. Ahmed's appointment is expected to fall under presidential quota seats in the assembly, replacing Mudar Hamdan, a member whose case has been referred for legal review over alleged ties to the ousted regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. Abdi announced earlier that the SDF had been officially disbanded and that the group would be integrated into Syrian state institutions. He, al-Sharaa and Ilham Ahmed later met in Damascus to discuss recent regional developments and joint files. The integration process builds on a comprehensive ceasefire and phased integration agreement signed between the Syrian government and the SDF on January 29.