Power lines and power struggles: Unpacking Syria's push towards unification

"The oil-rich soil of al-Omar, the turbines of the Tabqa Dam and the cautious return of families to towns long abandoned tell a story as old as Syria itself: one of power, survival and the struggle to unify a fractured country. Over the weekend, Syrian government forces seized the al-Omar oilfield, the Conoco gas complex both in Deir Az Zor governorate and the Tabqa Dam, in Raqqa governorate."

"The operation was heralded as a military achievement, but its significance reaches far beyond maps and military lines. It touches the very structure of Syria's political economy, the social contract between state and citizen and the fragile architecture of agreements meant to reconcile formerly hostile actors. And the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which previously controlled the areas as well as all of northeastern Syria, soon realised the situation they faced. By Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that a deal had been reached with the SDF. State institutions will enter the three eastern and northeastern governorates Hasakah, Deir Az Zor and Raqqa, al-Sharaa said."

"In eastern Syria, hydrocarbons have long been both a lifeblood and a driver of economic leverage. Before the beginning of the conflict in 2011, oil and gas accounted for nearly 20 percent of Syria's gross domestic product (GDP). During the war, these fields became the backbone of the fragmented war economy, exploited by armed groups and redirected to support local militias. Reclaiming these fields is therefore more than symbolic it is a prerequisite for fiscal recovery."

Government forces seized the al-Omar oilfield, the Conoco gas complex in Deir Az Zor and the Tabqa Dam in Raqqa, transferring control of major energy assets to the central state. The SDF quickly negotiated a deal with Damascus that will allow state institutions into Hasakah, Deir Az Zor and Raqqa. Eastern hydrocarbons previously supplied nearly 20 percent of GDP and sustained a wartime, fragmented economy when armed groups and militias exploited the fields. Restoring state control over energy sites is essential for fiscal recovery, but it also requires rebuilding trust, managing local dynamics and balancing competing political and security interests across the northeast.

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