By Aso Fishagi
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s prominent Sunni political and tribal leaders, as well as Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani, will meet in Erbil on Sunday to discuss a united front for negotiations with the Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, an official said.
Qasim Karbuli, member of a Sunni committee that has been behind months of anti-government protests in Iraq’s Sunni regions, said that the aim of the conference was to unite the different Sunni voices.
“The representatives of Abdul-Malak Sadi, a prominent Sunni religious figure, Ahmad Abu-Risha, former leader of the Sahwa group, Ali Hatam, leader of the Dilemi tribe, Ahmad Alwani, an MP in the Iraqi parliament and Rafi Al-Isawi, Iraq’s former finance minister, are among the most recognized Sunni figures who will attend the conference,” Karbuli said.
An anonymous source from the autonomous Kurdistan Region’s presidential office confirmed to Rudaw that the conference would be held in Erbil, but did not mention a date.
“In my opinion, the purpose of the conference is to send a message to the Shiites that the Kurds and the Sunnis are willing to set aside their differences and unite their efforts under a Sunni coalition,” the source said.
Iraq’s minority Sunnis and Kurds have been pushed closer together because of their serious opposition to Maliki’s government. The premier is locked in serious rows with the Kurds over territory, the budget and energy resources, and has angered the Sunnis who accuse him of discriminating against them and neglecting their regions.
A deadly government crackdown last month against protesters added fuel to the Sunni fire, even prompting calls for a separate Sunni region, like the Kurdish enclave in the north.
But some Sunni protest leaders said they are against negotiations -- or the conference.
“We oppose attempts to divide Iraq as well as the creation of a Sunni region,” said Ghazi Faisal, the spokesperson for the Sunni demonstrators. “We also don’t support a conference that encourages sectarianism,” he said.
Faisal said his group was not invited to the conference, and would not attend even if it had been.
“Those, who want to launch negotiations with Maliki will someday realize that Maliki’s only goal is to oppress the Sunnis rather than implementing their demands,” he said.
“We can only reach our goals through armed struggle,” he said, adding that protesters and Sunni Naqshbandi militants would continue to fight Maliki’s government. “Our goal is to bring unity to Iraq by overthrowing Maliki,” he vowed.
