Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a reporter and analyst with on-the-ground expertise in Kurdish affairs. He holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Studies from Utrecht University (2011) and a Master’s in Kurdish Studies from Exeter University (2013). Over the years, he has reported on significant battles against ISIS in northern Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan, contributing to outlets like Al Monitor, Middle East Eye, The Daily Beast, Defense Post, Al Jazeera, and Foreign Policy. In addition to his journalistic work, he has conducted research and analysis for renowned think tanks, including the Carnegie Endowment, Atlantic Council, Jamestown Foundation, and The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has co-authored two books published by I.B.Tauris on Kurdish issues in Syria: one with Dr. Harriet Allsop about the Syrian Kurds' self-rule experiment (2019), and another with Dr. Michael Knights on the SDF-US partnership against ISIS (2021).
“The SDF, until now, is not collapsing. The reason for that is that 60% of the SDF are Arabs. So, it is a Kurdish-led force, but it's maintaining other components like Christians and Arabs. This coalition was created basically to fight ISIS with US support. So, it's a multiethnic coalition. Also, if you look at the administration that has been built, it is not like a Kurdish administration; there are Arabs in it. It's reflective of the demography of Northeast Syria, but we have to see in the future negotiations how it can work-if this administration can stay in power in those areas or if they're going to find a different method. It is also possible, for instance, that the Kurdish-led administration would give the new authorities in Damascus control over things like the airport and oil and gas resources. But locally, they can still have some form of local security forces under their control. However, we have to see how it's going to work-if this new administration will accept some form of decentralization, because not only Kurds demand this but also Christians and Druze.”
25 Dec 2024
10
3
Read More