Administration of North and East Syria receives French delegation, transfers custody of French ISIS orphans
ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Syria – The Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) received at its office in Zalin (Qamishli) a delegation from the French Foreign Ministry. Besides, discussing various matters related to the status of the DAA, the DAA handed over to the French delegation a group of ISIS children of French citizenship.
The visiting French delegation was headed by Eric Chevalier of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation was received by Co-Chair of the External Relations Department Abdul Karim Omar (Democratic Union Party), and the two Deputy Co-Chairs of the External Relations Department Abeer Eliya (Syriac Union Party) and Fener al-Geit (Democratic Union Party), together with the DAA representative in Europe Mazgin Ahmed. The two sides discussed matters of current and future importance to the DAA.
One was the impact of the recently implemented Caesar’s Law and its implications for the region. Considering the current economic turmoil, Caesar’s Law most certainly will aggravate the turmoil and contribute to a possible re-emergence of ISIS-cells activity. Both parties stressed the need to cooperate and support the regions of North and East Syria.
Also, after the recent UN-decision to close the Tel Kujer (al-Yarubiya) border crossing as a result of a Russian and Chinese veto, the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the camps was discussed, with both side putting proposals forward for a possible reopening of the border crossing in order for humanitarian aid, medical devices and medicines to flow again.
Co-Chair Abdul Karim Omar elaborated on the Kurdish-Kurdish dialogue of which France is a sponsor.
The two sides agreed on the need to find an international solution to the presence of ISIS-detainees and their families in DAA-territory, the need to cooperate with the DAA to bring ISIS-detainees before an international court. At the end of the meeting, a group of orphaned ISIS children holding French citizenship were handed over to the French delegation according to an official handover document signed by the two sides.
Lastly, where the DAA is consciously left out of international political platforms and negotiations to resolve the Syrian crisis, the necessity of DAA-participation in an inclusive political process and negotiations on a new constitution were discussed.