The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) held its regular General Assembly meeting in the north-eastern Syrian city of al-Hasakah (Hesekê) on Sunday, where participants called for a nationwide ceasefire and the creation of a stable foundation for Syria’s political future.
The SDC is a political body affiliated with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) and includes various local political parties and representatives from across the region. At the meeting, members discussed recent geopolitical developments and their impact on Syria, highlighting the need for a new process of national dialogue.
SDC Co-Chair Mehmûd El Mislet criticised the current constitutional draft, arguing that it fails to represent Syria’s diverse communities. “The Syrian people rose up against neglect and discrimination. It is no longer possible to ignore a large part of the population,” he said. El Mislet added that the SDC sees itself as a political bridge between Syria’s various components and a driving force for peaceful, democratic change.
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Mislet’s Co-Chair Leyla Qereman echoed this sentiment, warning against internal divisions and emphasising the urgent need for comprehensive political reform. “Syria needs inclusive dialogue and reconciliation more than ever before,” she stated. “Building a new Syria requires the establishment of trust and the strengthening of a shared national identity.”
Participants stressed that a sustainable ceasefire is essential to prevent Syria from becoming a battleground for regional and international powers. They also discussed the future structure of the Syrian state and the importance of ensuring legal and political protections for all communities.
One of their main criticisms was the exclusion of ethnic, religious and political diversity from both the constitutional process and the proposed future government. They argued that such exclusions entrench discrimination and contradict efforts to build a modern, democratic state based on equal citizenship, justice and pluralism.
The SDC meeting came on the same day as renewed protests in Suwayda, a Druze-majority city in southern Syria, where residents denounced both the Assad government and the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa, (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) as interim president.
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Dozens gathered in the city’s central Kerameh Square carrying banners that read “Jolani does not represent us” and “The murderer is the same from Daraa to the coast”. Protesters accused the new leadership of attempting to impose authority through force and to undermine the people’s will.
Several lawyers at the protest described al-Sharaa as a figure with extremist and authoritarian views, stating that his leadership aims to reverse the country’s progress and establish a regime based on narrow ideological interests.
Demonstrator Şehîra Tirodî said, “We took to the streets to demand the fall of the Assad regime and the creation of a state that respects all its components. But Jolani is taking us backwards.” Another protester, Basîme El Eqebanî, stressed the need for a truly democratic state that guarantees equality for all Syrians, not just one group.
Protesters also condemned recent violence in Syria’s coastal cities, linking the attacks to sectarianism and religious extremism. They accused the provisional Damascus-based government of establishing ministries that serve as instruments of control, rather than reflecting the public’s demand for justice and freedom.
