NEWS CENTRE - Over 400 prominent figures published a joint article in the French newspaper Le Monde calling for the defence of Rojava.

 

While the European Union pledged €620 million in aid to the regime in Damascus at the beginning of January, more than 400 prominent figures signed an article published in Le Monde. 

 

The signatories called for human rights and the aspirations of the people not to be sacrificed for economic and geopolitical interests. "We reject our leaders' choice to side with a dangerous regime and suppress actions in support of the Kurds" the signatories said, calling in particular for the continuation of the humanitarian corridor to the city of Kobanê and guarantees that water and electricity supplies would be restored. 

 

Call to defend Rojava in Syria

 

As Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) and its political project face an unprecedented military assault by the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), it is vital to state clearly that: Contrary to what is often presented in media discourse, what is happening in Syria today is not a conflict between communities or religions, but a confrontation between two different political visions and projects for Syria's future.

 

The government of Syrian President Ahmed El-Sharaa defends a centralised, anti-democratic ‘Syrian Arab Republic’; it suppresses political and trade union rights, the rights of women and religious and ethnic minorities, and is preparing a powder keg in which the destructive power of the Islamic State (ISIS) organisation is beginning to rebuild itself. Western powers support this project, while ensuring that the government remains subservient to their own interests, effectively rendering Israel's occupation in the south and Turkey's occupation in the north untouchable.

 

However, another path is possible: a decentralised and democratic Syria that grants women and cultural and religious minorities a central political role. This path is based on the liberation experiences carried out by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Rojava and North-East Syria, and on over fifty years of resistance against the totalitarian structure and massacres of the Assad regime.

 

Over the past year, women's rights defenders, progressive forces, and Arab, Alawite, and Druze community leaders across Syria have stated that they reject Ahmed El-Sharaa's project, which is far removed from the revolution's initial demands, and that they support the AANES model.

 

This wave of violence began following the abrupt suspension of negotiations between the AANES and its armed wing, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the Syrian Interim Government on 10 March 2025. Although AANES representatives reiterated their commitment to the unity of the country within a decentralised Syrian framework, the government has made no progress on any of the key points of the preliminary agreements: political decentralisation and the preservation of certain unique political structures, political rights for minorities, and the safe return of displaced persons.

 

From 6 January onwards, the armed forces of the Syrian Interim Government attacked the predominantly Kurdish neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maksud and Ashrafiya in Aleppo, then launched a new operation directly targeting AANES territory. 

 

Thus, an all-out war has begun between AANES forces and the Syrian Interim Government. The historically Kurdish cantons of Kobanê and Cezire are under siege. Electricity, water and internet have been cut off in Kobanê, and the living conditions of 250,000 people are under severe threat. The risk of ethnic cleansing and cycles of retaliation is extremely high. The ceasefire declared on 20 January has been violated by the transitional government, and attacks continue.

 

The SDG has suffered more than 12,000 casualties in the fight against ISIS and, because of this contribution, has benefited from US support within the framework of the international coalition. However, this support ended on Tuesday, and the SDF has once again been left high and dry amid indifference and hypocrisy. US Special Representative Tom Barrack stated in a statement that responsibility for the fight against ISIS has been transferred to the Syrian government; yet in recent days, hundreds of detainees have been released by the forces of this government.

 

Despite this, the European Union has signed a cheque for 620 million euros to the Syrian government for the reconstruction of Syria. This stance embodies a diplomacy in which human rights and the demands of the people are sacrificed for economic and geopolitical interests. Syria is a source of oil and a new market for France and other Western powers. It is also a strategic partner for the Israeli government, which, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council's commission of inquiry, is responsible for genocide; indeed, agreements to this effect were made in Paris at the beginning of January, under US supervision.

 

We reject our leaders' choice to side with a dangerous regime and suppress actions in support of the Kurds. A general mobilisation was declared in North-East Syria on Monday, 19 January, and Kurds from the four parts of Kurdistan have flocked to the region today to defend Rojava, the gains of the revolution, and the possibility of a democratic Syria. We must strengthen our parliamentary, political, trade union and cultural struggles throughout France to support this hope and the Kurdish people under attack in Cezire and Kobanê.

 

The international community must take a clear stance to protect the population, rights and territories of the Syrian Kurds; defend the autonomy of the civil, political and military institutions of the AANES; ensure the return of all displaced persons from areas occupied by Turkish-backed militias; and guarantee the right of all peoples that make up Syria to live together in peace and determine their own destiny. The United Nations and its member states must guarantee the continuation of the humanitarian corridor to the city of Kobanê and the restoration of water and electricity to ensure that aid sufficient to meet the needs of the besieged population is delivered.