No going back: Why decentralisation is the future for Syria

Syria now suffers from deep divisions along both ethno-sectarian and geographic lines.

While economic links and interdependency persist between the various parts of the country, and most Syrians remain remarkably attached to the idea of national unity, the country is fragmenting into competing centres of power. This fragmentation extends to government-held areas where local power brokers are also asserting independence, challenging Damascus’s ability to hold on to power.

Political and economic decentralisation, including a special status for Kurdish areas, is fast becoming a necessary condition for solving the conflict. For this to become a reality, there needs to be a formal devolution process, fairer allocation of resources - particularly oil revenues -, and efforts to reduce disparities in economic development.

European actors should recognise the reality on the ground and shift their focus away from achieving a centralised power-sharing agreement and towards negotiations based on a devolved politics. A decentralised model will be difficult to implement, but ironically may offer one of the few means of holding the country together.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Can the West Save Syria? http://www.europeansources.info/record/judy-asks-can-the-west-save-syria/

Chatham House: Video, 16.09.16: Syria's War: Why Kurdish Local Governance is Key to Long-Term Peace https://www.chathamhouse.org/file/syrias-war-why-kurdish-local-governance-key-long-term-peace

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