Hikmat al-Hijri, the head of the Druze religious authority in Syria’s Sweida province, has begun openly expressing his intention to isolate the region and keep any emerging entity beyond the control of the central government.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue to resist integration into the new Syrian state and the handover of their territories to Damascus, signaling a clear bet on separatist ambitions.

The integration of the SDF into the Syrian state remains stalled due to its insistence on political decentralization, a demand rejected by Damascus as a threat to national unity and stability.

Negotiations between the Syrian state and the SDF focus on integration, ISIS detainees, and regional cooperation amid funding and repatriation challenges.

Just one day after the announcement of the signing of an agreement to integrate Kurdish civil and military institutions into the Syrian state, work began on coordinating the annexation of As-Suwayda.