Anas al-Abdah
Anas al-Abdah | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967 Vicinity of Damascus, Syria |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (2016–2017, 2019–2020) |
Anas al-Abdah (, born in 1967) is a Syrian political figure who held the position of President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces between 2019 and 2020.
Early life
Originating from the vicinity of Damascus, Anas al-Abdah pursued his higher education in geology at Yarmouk University located in Jordan. He further advanced his studies by obtaining a master's degree in geophysics from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.
Political history
In 2006, al-Abdah was instrumental in establishing the Movement for Justice and Development in Syria while based in London, and he represented the Damascus Declaration internationally.
With the onset of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, he contributed to founding the Syrian National Council (SNC) and served as a member of its secretariat. The SNC subsequently became part of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. Al-Abdah also participated as a delegate for the SNC during the Geneva II Conference on Syria.
On 5 March 2016, he was chosen to lead the National Coalition, taking over from Khaled Khoja. Later that year, in November, under his direction, the National Coalition extended congratulations to Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election and advocated for imposing economic sanctions against Russia.
In December 2016, al-Abdah called for Rojava Peshmerga troops from Iraqi Kurdistan to be deployed into Syria to assist Free Syrian Army groups affiliated with the SNC. He expressed apprehension regarding sectarian tensions linked to YPG-led forces reclaiming Raqqa.
He stepped down from his role on 6 May 2017, with Riad Seif succeeding him.
On 29 June 2019, al-Abdah was reinstated as president of the Syrian National Coalition, replacing Abdurrahman Mustafa, whom he appointed as Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG). It has been reported that this leadership change was influenced by Turkish supporters.
By January 2021, al-Abdah called for an expedited political process in Syria amidst deteriorating economic and security challenges. He stressed the importance of fully enacting UN Security Council Resolution 2254, addressing issues concerning detainees, and enhancing United Nations-led negotiation efforts.