UN signs controversial agreement with SDF group

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - The United Nations has signed a controversial deal with the SDF, which is controlled by the YPG/PKK terror group in Syria, to end the recruitment of child soldiers.

Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General's special representative on children in armed conflicts, met with YPG commander Mazloum Abdi and signed an agreement over the weekend in Geneva.

The so-called agreement aims to end SDF's use and recruitment of individuals under the age of 18.

The YPG, which works under the label of the SDF, is the Syrian branch of the PKK that is a designated terrorist organization in Turkey, the EU and the U.S.

Gamba said the agreement was being made to ensure "no child is recruited and used by any entity operating under its umbrella".

UN spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said in a press conference Monday that Gamba’s plan with the YPG-led group "does not imply any legitimacy, political legitimacy, for any armed group that she engages in."

The PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children.

The activities of the YPG/PKK terrorist group have been a major security concern for Ankara, while the U.S. viewed the group as a "reliable partner" in the fight against Daesh.