The administration in Rojava, as the Kurdish self-government is called, announces that it has decided to hoist this flag on all buildings belonging to its authorities. It is described in a statement as a "symbol of this new phase, as it expresses the Syrian people's striving for freedom, dignity, and national unity", reports AFP.
Syria's flag has been red-white-black with two green stars on the white field for decades. Over time, it has come to be associated with the Assad family's rule, and opposition forces have adopted an earlier flag with the same pan-Arabic color combination, but in green-white-black with three red stars.
The green-white-black flag was originally designed for the first Syrian republic when it gained independence from France in 1930. Since the outbreak of the great civil war in 2011, it has been used as a symbol of resistance by a wide range of opposition groups.
The Kurdish self-government has primarily used a Kurdish flag with horizontal stripes in yellow, red, and green.
The Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is leading the takeover in Damascus, has proclaimed that all ethnic groups and religious communities are welcome in Syria, but many still harbor doubts about this. The Kurdish-led SDF forces in Rojava have been fighting against various Turkey-backed rebel forces in recent days and have been forced to make several withdrawals.
