Iran Press/Middle East: Starting five days ago, demonstrations against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have taken place in a string of towns on Sunday, from Busayrah to Shuhail, in a strategic oil belt in the heart of Arab tribal territory, east of the Euphrates River, tribal chiefs said.
Protesters burned tyres along a major highway from Deir al-Zor to Hasaka that is used by trucks and lorries carrying oil, a lucrative trade the SDF took over from ISIS after defeating the militant group there in late 2017, Reuters reported.
“Where is our oil? We won’t accept after today the transfer of our wealth outside our areas,” said a banner held by demonstrators in the village of al-Shanan, pictures of which were sent by residents to Reuters and published on social media.
“No to Kurdish occupation,” chanted protesters in Husayn, one of the towns witnessing large protests.
Spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG militia, the SDF has been the main U.S. partner in Syria and has driven ISIS out of a swathe of the country’s north and east over the last four years.
By ousting ISIS from Deir al-Zor, the YPG laid its hands on some of Syria’s biggest oil fields, beating the Syrian army to the prize.
With poor living conditions and many towns without electricity, the people of Deir al-Zor complain the YPG-led administration favours majority Kurdish areas in northeast Syria.
Detention of local people of Deir al-Zor have also angered the population but SDF officials have denied any discrimination, saying they themselves had long been victims of Arab nationalist policies that denied them their culture before Syria’s conflict began in 2011.
“In SDF prisons, Arabs are 100 percent and Kurds 0 percent. Where is Justice?,” said a banner held by angry demonstrators in the town of Tayanah on Sunday.
Reporting on the demonstrations, Syrian state television showed footage of oil-carrying trucks being blocked and diverted and alleged the SDF had fired live rounds at protesters. 101/211/201
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