Shahba Canton
The Shahba Canton is a political unit of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, in the Aleppo Governorate. The canton was established to administer the areas captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant west of the Euphrates, as part of the Afrin Region.
The Shahba autonomous region was founded during the first and second conferences of the Shahba region in Afrin on 28 January 2016 and 2–4 February 2016. The conferences set up the Shahba Regional Assembly with its own council and senate and a de facto autonomous administration, created on 22 March 2016. The borders of the canton are subject to change as a result of military developments in the Syrian civil war.
Geography
Shahba is a nickname for the city of Aleppo. The Shahba Canton denotes the parts of Northern Aleppo Governorate of Syria that are under the administrative control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria as part of the Afrin Region and is west of the Euphrates around the city of Tel Rifaat. It borders areas controlled by the Syrian National Army and by the Syrian Army.At latitude approximately 36 and a half degrees north, the landscape consists of plains and low hills, and the Dhahab and Sajur Rivers. Part of the Fertile Crescent, its climate is "warm mediterranean" on the Köppen climate classification, as opposed to the colder, semi-arid regions to the south.
Demographics
The population of Shahba Canton mainly consists of Arab Syrians and Arabized Kurds found throughout the canton, as well as a considerable Syrian Turkmen and Arabized Turkmen population toward the north of the canton. Toponymy and maps published by the French colonial authorities indicate that a significant percentage of inhabitants of Shahba who are officially classified as Arabs have Kurdish origins.As of March 2016, there were 450 inhabited villages in the Shahba plain to the north and the east of Aleppo around Azaz, Al-Bab, Manbij and As-Safira, 217 of them being Kurdish.
Tell Rifaat is the largest city administered by de facto autonomous civil administrations operating under the umbrella of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. According to the 2004 Syrian census Tell Rifaat had 20,514 inhabitants.
History
During the Syrian Civil War and Rojava conflict
In the second half of 2012, most of the region was captured from the Syrian government by opposition groups, including the People's Protection Units and its ally Jabhat al-Akrad. In January 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, who had been infiltrating the region over the course of the previous year, launched a massive assault, which eventually captured almost the region, including Manbij, Jarabulus and Al-Bab, up to Dabiq.On the western side, some territory in Azaz district stayed under control of non-ISIL forces, villages and towns occasionally contested and changing hands between Afrin District based YPG and allies and diverse rebel militias, until finally a February 2016 offensive by SDF forces, inter alia capturing Tel Rifaat and Menagh Airbase, created today's borderline between them.
To the east, near the city of Manbij, in December 2015 the Syrian Democratic Forces launched an offensive from the East across the Euphrates river and captured the strategic Tishrin Dam and surrounding villages, forming a small salient on the western bank of the river. In the following months an offensive to capture Manbij city from ISIS was planned, but was delayed because of opposition and demands from the Turkish government. In May 2016 the SDF launched an offensive towards Manbij city along 3 axes: from the north and south along the banks of the Euphrates river, and on the southern outskirts of Manbij city aiming to block the Raqqa-Manbij road. From 30 May to 12 June 2016, the Manbij offensive captured more than 100 villages from ISIL. On 14 August 2016, after securing Manbij, the SDF established the Al-Bab Military Council with the goal of securing the city of al-Bab and its surrounding countryside. On 19 August 2016, the SDF component Manbij Military Council announced that it took over the security of Manbij city center and surrounding villages.
From late August 2016, Turkey assembled some Syrian rebel groups who with Turkish military support captured a strip of territory along the Turkish border from ISIL including the town of Jarabulus. This included some combat with Jarabulus Military Council SDF forces, which eventually settled for an armistice line along the Sajur River. To the south, SDF forces started offensives against ISIL west of Al-Bab in September 2016 and again in October 2016, capturing several villages in the process.
On 13 April 2017, negotiations between Turkey-backed rebel groups and the SDF reportedly restarted under the mediation of the United States. The parties discussed control over the villages and towns of Tell Rifaat, Menagh, Maryamin, Sheikh Issa, Maraanaz, Herbel, Deir Jamal, and several other villages situated in the western part of the Shahba Canton. The US-supported al-Mu'tasim Brigade reportedly represented the Turkey-backed rebel factions in the negotiations.
Politics and administration
Since its foundation the Shahba Canton has a Shahba Regional Assembly with its own council and senate.Shahba Regional Assembly has a direct representative inside the Democratic Syria Assembly and Cîhan Xedro is also formally elected to represent the Al-Shahba Canton inside the MSD.
Shahba Canton is governed following the Constitution of Rojava.
It is noted for its explicit affirmation of minority rights, gender equality and a form of direct democracy known as Democratic Confederalism.
Article 8 of the 2014 of the NES constitution stipulates that "all Cantons in the Autonomous Regions are founded upon the principle of local self-government. They may freely elect their representatives and representative bodies, and may pursue their rights insofar as it does not contravene the articles of the Charter."
The governing party of Shahba Canton is the Syrian National Democratic Alliance.
It is a left-wing multi-ethnic political party established in 2014 in northern Syria.
On 12 March 2017, the Legislative Assembly of Manbij approved the elected co-presidents who then took office. During the meeting the departments of the committee members, co-presidents and committees were determined after speeches and evaluations. 13 committees where determined. The 13 new committees include 71 Arabs, 43 Kurds, 10 Turkmen, 8 Circassians, and an Armenian and a Chechen.
On 2 April 2017, the Shahba Council held a meeting with residents of Nayrabiyah village of the Al-Bab Subdistrict & announced the creation of the Nayrabiyah Council.
Executive officers
The prime ministers were elected and the remaining Executive Council appointed as follows:Police
Security in the Shahba Canton is primarily handled by the local Asayish police force. There have been reported to be many locals who have joined the police forces, the female component of which has drawn particular attention in international media.On 22 February 2017, the Asayish handed over the security responsibility of Manbij to an internal security force formed in the city.