France, Jan. 22 -- On Tuesday, the Syrian Defence Ministry announced a ceasefire with Kurdish forces and gave them four days to agree to integrate into the forces of President Ahmed al-Sharaa - the Islamist military strongman who came to power in December 2024.

The United States, the main ally of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has urged them to accept.

The SDF has so far resisted joining the central state, and ceasefire negotiations have collapsed.

Syrian government forces have seized swathes of territory from Kurdish forces in northern Syria, driving them out from Aleppo, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor - effectively dismantling more than a decade of self-rule by the Kurds.

RFI spoke to Kendal Nezan, the president of the Kurdish Institute...