Eurasia Press & News
The name of Nour al-Din Ahmed, known as “Abu Omar Khanika”, tops the political scene in the province of Hasakah during the last hours, after the circulation of news of a consensus between the Syrian government and the “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF) to be named governor of Hasaka, in a move that comes within the framework of local understandings under the auspices of actors.
Ahmed said on Sunday, February 1, that the government has approved his candidacy, and is expected to visit Damascus at the head of a political delegation in the next two days.
Origin and career path
Noureddine Ahmed was born in the city of Qamishli in 1969, and continued his education in Damascus, where he received a diploma from the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at the University of Damascus.
He began his career in 1993 as an engineer in the Directorate of Telecommunications, and has been in official positions between Hasaka and Qamishli for nearly two decades, until 2012.
The Political Path and Transition to “Self-Administration”
With the start of protests in Syria in 2011, Ahmed became involved in demonstrations, leading to his dismissal from his work in government institutions in 2012 and his security prosecution.
Later, with the establishment of the “Autonomous Administration”, Ahmed moved to work within its bodies, and his name emerged in early 2014 as a public relations official in the “Syrian Democratic Forces” (SDF), and he also served as a member of its general command, and is known for his proximity to influential political circles within the PKK.
Security and social roles
Khanika has assumed various tasks during the last decade, according to what Enab Baladi has monitored, most notably:
Prison Administration: He previously served as the “Alaya” prison administration in the city of Qamishli.
Tribal relations: He was known for his activity in Arab-majority areas, taking advantage of his relations with tribal leaders, and played a role in attempts to calm down and address local conflicts between the Arab and Kurdish components.
Field coordination: One of the relations officials who contributed to the management of joint files between the local forces.Personal Stations
On a personal level, Ahmed comes from a family with a presence in the Kurdish political scene, and his son Omar was killed in 2014 during the battles against the “Islamic State” in the city of Ain al-Arab (Kobani).
His candidacy for governor of Hasakah is one of the names seen as capable of contributing to the completion of the arrangements for the January 30 agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, given his previous professional background in state institutions and his subsequent experience in the military and political structures of the SDF.
