17/02/2023

Foreign Relations Commission of North and East Syria transfers custody of 18 women and 41 children associated with ISIS over to Kyrgyz delegation

ZALIN, Syria — On Wednesday, the Foreign Relations Commission of the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria welcomed a Kyrgyz delegation led by Tokobaev Arslan, representative of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting took place at the Commission’s headquarters in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, as stated by Deputy Co-Chair Rubel Bahho in a Twitter post.

Present at the event were Deputy Co-Chair Rubel Bahho, member of the Commission’s Administrative Authority Khaled Ibrahim, member of the Public Relations Office of the People’s Defense Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, YPG) Lana Hassan, and Deputy of the DAA Women’s Commission Howaida Muhammad.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed various issues, including the humanitarian situation in Syria following the destructive earthquake, the current political situation in the country, and the necessity of resolving the Syrian crisis in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution No 2254. They also talked about the economic and security situation in the region.

Bahho stated that the DAA has been appealing to the international community to open the border crossings, remove the obstacles against entering humanitarian aid, especially the closed border crossings such as Tel Koçer.

“The Turkish threats, bombings, and drone attacks continued even during the recent natural disaster,” Bahho added.

Arslan thanked the DAA and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for fighting terrorism and helping in repatriating their Kyrgyz citizens.

Custody of 18 women and 41 children from families of Islamic State (ISIS) members was then transferred from the DAA to the Kyrgyz delegation, according to an official handover document signed between the delegations.

The Kyrgyz government has been working with international organizations and other countries to repatriate and reintegrate children who were taken to Iraq or Syria by their parents to join ISIS terrorist group.

Progress, however, has been slow. Many of the children have been traumatized and exposed to violent extremist ideologies for extended periods of time.

The United States Institute for Peace (USIP) highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach that includes counseling, education, and economic assistance to help the children overcome their trauma and build a better future. It also emphasizes the importance of involving the children’s communities in the reintegration process to prevent stigmatization and ensure their successful reintegration into society.