ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) released their findings from an investigative mission in the town of Tuz Khurmatu confirming widespread destruction in primarily Kurdish areas along with reports of violence and intimidation within the Kurdish community.
“Teams from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) conducted monitoring missions to Tuz Khurmatu where they observed destroyed homes and businesses in several primarily Kurdish neighborhoods of the ethnically and religiously mixed city in the wake of the transfer of security authority in the area in October,” read a press release from UNAMI on Saturday.
According to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), over 150,000 people have been displaced since October 16 – the day Iraqi forces and Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militias began their operations to take over disputed areas, including the diverse city of Tuz Khurmatu, roughly 60 kilometers south of Kirkuk.
The UNAMI report also stated that “a number of sources and witnesses alleged that civilians and members of Turkmen armed groups carried out these acts as well as intimidating residents, many of whom left the city in fear. The identity of the perpetrators of these acts remains unknown.”
“Since the outbreak of violence in Tuz Khurmatu in October, UNAMI has received a number of allegations of human rights abuses and violations, in particular with regard to civilian casualties and two allegations of sexual violence,” UNAMI reported. “These incidents are still being investigated.”
“UNAMI also received and investigated a large number of allegations concerning the destruction of property that took place on 16 and 17 October,” it added.
The investigations collected reports from Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who are currently residing in Kirkuk, Sulaimani and Erbil, government and security forces, media reports and journalists, community and political representatives as well as national and international NGOs.
“Many IDPs attributed the violence to the tensions between the Kurdish and Shia-Turkmen communities,” the press release read, adding that they feared returning home in the event of continued violence.
UNAMI previously undertook two monitoring missions primarily to assess allegations of property damage in Tuz Khurmatu on December 7 and 14.
Before the follow up on December 14, UNAMI analyzed satellite imagery from the primarily Kurdish neighborhoods of Jumhori and Jamila prior to and after the violence.
“The imagery indicated that at least 29 buildings had been destroyed in Jumhori and 11 in Jamila,” the statement read.
However, during the investigation, the UNAMI team “observed approximately 100 shops burnt or damaged along the main market road in Jumhori, many of which could not be observed in the satellite imagery.”
Additionally, the team found another 30 homes that had been burnt or damaged and five houses completely demolished in Jamila and one in Jumhori.
The report added that it was difficult to locate looted buildings unless the doors remained open and in some areas it was impossible to determine whether there was looting or damage due to many houses being inaccessible within compounds or behind high walls.
“The team cannot therefore exclude the possibility that the number of houses destroyed and/or looted could be higher; indeed, UNAMI has received allegations about a significantly higher number of houses affected,” the release read.
UNAMI also observed “widespread graffiti marking homes belonging to Turkmen, allegedly to prevent damage and/or looting.” Several IDPs reported to the investigative team that they had asked their Turkmen friends and/or neighbors to mark their properties as well in order to protect them from looting or damage in their absence.
A previous UN statement released mid-December also condemned mortar attacks against Tuz Khurmatu which resulted in a number of death and injuries, including civilians. The Hashd forces accused Kurdish militia who call themselves the “Liberation Army” of the mortar attacks.
Kurdish officials and eye witnesses have denied these accusations; instead they blamed it on an “unknown force,” who believed to be ISIS remnants.
Media access to the town is restricted to a few Iraqi media outlets close to the Iraqi government or Shiite parties. All Kurdish parties have withdrawn their offices from the town.
A group of displaced Kurds from Tuz Khurmatu gathered at the United Nations compound in Erbil on December 5 to protest abuses by militia forces in the city and demanded international action.
KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has also criticized global inaction on the reported violence in the ethnically diverse town.
Iraqi President Fuad Masum, on a recent visit to Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region, pledged to resolve tensions in the city.
Addressing the UN Security Council on November 22, UN envoy to Iraq Jan Kubis estimated that just 2 percent of those who were displaced have returned to Tuz Khurmatu.
“UNAMI requests the Iraqi authorities to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in Tuz Khurmatu to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of IDPs; and to hold accountable those responsible for the violations that occurred since mid-October,” the press release read.
“UNAMI also expresses its concern over the recent repeated indiscriminate mortar attacks which have inflicted losses, including civilian casualties from among the Turkmen community, in the town and calls for an immediate end to acts that threaten the security and the safety of the Kurdish and Turkmen communities.”
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