Syria’s post-Assad transition has entered a potentially decisive phase, with the dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the integration of its fighters into the national military and new recognition of Kurdish linguistic rights. Yet prominent Syrian human-rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni warns that political and military reunification will mean little unless the emerging state also establishes an independent system of justice.
According to The Syrian Observer, citing +963, SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi announced in Damascus that the organisation would cease operating as an independent military force, while the Autonomous Administration would also be wound down. Former SDF personnel are to be absorbed into Syria’s armed forces under an agreement with President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The arrangement also contains an important cultural component. Kurdish is set to receive official recognition alongside Arabic in Kurdish-majority areas, with plans for optional Kurdish-language and literature classes. The development addresses one of the Kurdish community’s longstanding demands while allowing Damascus to restore central authority over territories previously governed by autonomous institutions.
The agreement has been welcomed internationally. France, Britain, Qatar and Jordan have backed the integration process, portraying the unification of armed forces and institutions as an important step toward Syrian stability, sovereignty and national cohesion.
However, in a separate interview published by The Syrian Observer, veteran human-rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni offered a more cautious assessment of Syria’s transformation. While broadly optimistic about the country’s direction since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024, al-Bunni argued that preventing military fragmentation is only one part of the challenge.
Al-Bunni, who heads the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research, strongly criticised the emerging transitional justice process, accusing the authorities of politicising accountability and pursuing some alleged perpetrators while leaving others untouched. He insists that justice must apply not only to Assad-era officials but to anyone implicated in serious crimes, including figures associated with Syria’s current authorities.
His organisation is attempting to build legal capacity independently, training around 200 lawyers and conducting more than 23 workshops across Syria to help victims prepare cases and navigate the judicial process.
Taken together, the two developments illustrate the central dilemma facing post-Assad Syria. Damascus appears to be making significant progress toward territorial, military and administrative reunification, while simultaneously accommodating Kurdish identity within the state. But al-Bunni’s warnings underline the next and potentially more difficult test: whether the new Syria can replace decades of authoritarian rule not simply with a unified government, but with institutions capable of holding both yesterday’s rulers and today’s victors accountable.