27.01 Update – What’s happening in Rojava?
“All eyes on Kobane – what’s happening in Rojava this week and how we can support the resistance”
The past week has been pretty full on. The situation in North and East Syria has been rapidly changing, and the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) has initiated a massive mobilisation across society. People from all walks of life are readying to defend themselves against the onslaught of attacks from the forces of the Syrian Transitional Government (STG). Across society, civilians are taking up arms, organising cooking rotas, and participating in round the clock neighbourhood patrols in order to prevent the entrance of sleeper cells and Islamic state prisoners whose escape from detention was facilitated by Government forces.
At times it has felt like governments and civil society institutions around the world have abandoned the people of Rojava, despite their huge sacrifice in fighting the fascist forces of ISIS. But once again we are witnessing the immense power of society as there has been a global outpouring of solidarity with Rojava, through hundreds of thousands organising and attending demos, initiating public pressure campaigns, joining the Peoples’ Caravan and fundraising for on the ground relief efforts. As a result of this we are starting to see politicians paying attention to what is happening in Rojava and hearing from their constituents that we need to be standing with Rojava.
In Britain alone we’ve seen at least 40 solidarity events in over a dozen cities over the past week. More than 60,000 people marched in London on Sunday, and thousands more in different places across the country. Women Defend Rojava banner drops happened in seven cities, and lots of people have been organising info sessions and film screenings. Each action we take births several more, as the international mobilisation efforts snowball.
THE SITUATION IN ROJAVA
Formally, the ceasefire has been extended for another 15 days; but we’re seeing the STG forces consistently ignore the ceasefire terms. Fighting in the Kobane countryside has continued, with attacks from the STG killing six civilians – including three children – in the past two days. The YPG, YPJ and SDF holding out against the attacks, and have posted videos of drones that they have downed in their defence efforts.
Meanwhile, the Turkish state is providing explicit support to the Syrian government. Turkish drones are doing both reconaissance flights and carrying out attacks. Recently, a Turkish military official was also been recorded giving orders in the operations room for the ground attacks on Kobane, demonstrating the level of control Ankara exercises on the Syrian battlefield.
Inside the city of Kobane, the humanitarian situation is getting increasingly worse, even with the arrival of a little UN aid. There is no mains electricity, water pumps cannot function, medicines are depleted and IDPs fleeing the surrounding villages in fear of an STG advance are sleeping on the sides of the streets in their cars. Now completely cut off from the other SDF-controlled regions, Kobane is under siege.
Today marks the 11th anniversary of the defeat of ISIS in Kobane. In a statement, the SDF described that 2015 battle as “not only in defence of a city, but also in defence of human values, and the right of people to life, liberty and dignity.” Seeing STG forces arrive in Tabqa last week and immediately topple the statue of the YPJ fighter built there as a commemoration of the victory against ISIS made it clear that these human values are again under attack.
Kurds from across the other three parts of Kurdistan have continued to make their way to Rojava to join the popular defence efforts. Yet with the heavily militarised Turkish border hampering even the most valiant efforts to cross from the north, there is only one point of entrance or exit left – the Semalka crossing into Iraq. Damascus is seeking to cut off this too, which would leave Rojava completely encircled.
The Syrian and Turkish governments speak of waging war against the SDF. What is evident from the situation on the ground, is that it is a war against the Kurdish people and their very existence, as well as an attempt to crush the region’s socio-political project pushing for self-governance and women’s liberation within a multi-ethnic geography. President al-Sharaa’s new decree to recognise Kurdish language was met with disdain from Rojava’s local population. After 12 hard years of revolutionary process and heavy sacrifices that have seen huge steps taken forwards in the cultural, linguistic, social, political, military, and other fields, entitlement to mother-tongue language is no longer Damascus’ gift to give. Syria’s Kurds have empowered themselves and seized their own rights. Now faced with existential threat, they are unwilling to surrender what they have built up.
In nearby Iran, the Kurdish population there continues to face heavy violence from state security forces. After mass internet and communication blackouts, details of the intense state suppression of popular protests that left tens of thousands brutalised and killed are still only trickling out. Protests from the Kurds of Kermanshah and Malekshahi were met with harsh repression. Seven Kurdish political parties then issued a joint call for a general strike, which was joined by those in other ethnic minority provinces including Balochistan.
MEANWHILE IN THE UK: Six members of the London Kurdish community are on trial accused of membership of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The prosecution against them – and the general criminalisation of Kurdish political expression seen across Europe – is an extension of the war on the Kurdish people. The Kurdish Peoples’ Assembly is calling for “sustained solidarity” with them. – (link –https://www.theamargi.com/posts/kurdish-rights-on-trial-in-the-uk)
How to Take Action
The region eneds your support more than ever, and there are a number of ways you can help build awareness, raise funds, and organise support.
- Templates, leaflets, graphics and explainers here:
- Post any events or demos you are organising in the Defend Kurdistan UK whatsapp chat https://bit.ly/DKdiscuss, or email hello@kurdistansolidarity.net so we can publicise and support
- Organise actions against arms companies and the corporations that are profiting from war
- Like this one in Sheffield: https://kurdistansolidarity.net/event/stop-arming-genocide/
- Organise actions against arms companies and the businesses that drive the military-industrial complex! See map of weapons factories in Britain that are supplying Turkey https://www.weareplanc.org/2019/01/whos-arming-turkey-the-locations-of-arms-industry-companies-in-the-uk-that-profit-from-turkeys-war-against-the-kurds/
- Write your MPs:
- Demand that they apply immediate political pressure to stop the attacks, end direct and indirect support for HTS, ISIS and Turkey’s actions in Syria, take a clear position against the ISIS threat, provide urgent humanitarian assistance and instigate international monitoring and accountability. And crucially to work towards the political recognition of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) for a lasting solution. If you are uncertain how to write such a message yourself, you can send your message off through the template provided here: https://www.kurdishprogress.com/stop_attacks_on_kurds_in_northern_syria
- If you have a Green, Your Party or Plaid Cymru MP, or are involved in in those parties (or other progressive parties) it is especially important that you engage with them as they have been more supportive, and their vocal support puts pressure on other MPs
- Organise film screenings of the Tishreen Dam resistance documentary and get in touch if you want us to help you find local speakers who can give some updates and calls to action at the screenings.
- Fundraise for Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor) and Waqfa Jin
Kurdish Red Crescent: paypal.me/heyvasorakurdistane //
– bank details on https://heyvasor.com/en/donation/
Women’s Foundation (Waqfa Jin): https://wjas.org/en/home-2/
– IBACS (Donation account: Kurdistanhilfe e.V. / Keyword: NOTHILFE / Hamburger Sparkasse / IBAN DE40 2005 0550 1049 2227 04 / BIC HASPDEHHXXX )
- Support the Peoples’ Caravan: People from all over Europe are travelling to Kobane to defend the revolution.
For more information see their Instagram or contact via Signal (caravankobane.15 or +49 1521 478023) or email (kobanecaravan@proton.me)
How to keep track of what’s happening?
It can be really confusing to know what’s happening on the ground, and what it means. Most mainstream news sources (including Al-Jazeera ) have a terrible track record in accurately reporting what’s happening in North and East Syria. We would recommend the following ways of following developments:
Rojava Information Center (RIC), independent media group: @rojavaic
The Amargi, independent media group https://www.theamargi.com/
Jenni Keasden, journalist who is on the Caravan (Instagram and Tiktok): @jkeasden
WhatsApp/social media accounts
Defend Kurdistan UK whatsapp groups:
Announcements only group: https://bit.ly/DefendKurdistan
Discussion group: https://bit.ly/DKdiscuss
Women Defend Rojava UK whatsapp group: https://bit.ly/WDR_UK
WomenDefendRojava (central accounts)
Instagram: @women_defend_rojava
RojavaEng Telegram: t.me/womendefend
X: @WomenDefendRoj1
RiseUp4Rojava (central accounts)
Instagram: riseup.4rojava
Telegram: t.me/RiseUp4
X: @RISEUP4R0JAVA
YPG (Peoples’ Defence Units) and YPJ (Women’s Defence Units): @YpgInt
Syrian Democratic Forces: @SDF_Syria