In February, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed rebels reopened civilian and commercial crossings between the areas under their control near the city of Manbij. In doing so, the two hostile parties in northern Syria brought a measure of relief to residents contending with shortages of essential goods since the crossings shut down in October 2019 — though some locals suspect their welfare was a secondary consideration.

“The prevailing sentiment is that reopening the borders between the SDF and the [Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army] revolves around the massive amount of revenue that benefits both groups,” said Khaled Mohammad, a journalist in northern Aleppo who covers trade for the Syrian economic news site Eqtsad. “A network of middlemen who make money from this continued commercial activity are keen to calm things down between the two sides during times of conflict or tension.” 

In September 2017, Al-Monitor quoted an economist as saying that rebel brigades earned more than $1 million a month from fees imposed on goods entering SDF territory. Because of the sensitivity of the trade, reliable figures are hard to come by, particularly how much the SDF makes from import and export duties.

The goods that cross into Manbij from rebel-controlled northern Aleppo include “sugar, rice, vegetable oil, chickpeas, beans, lentils, bulgur wheat and canned goods” as well as construction materials like iron and cement, said Mohammad Manbiji, a pseudonym for a journalist in Manbij who wishes to remain anonymous.