Barzani asked them to put together a proposal to present for discussions with Baghdad and other related parties. This suggestion has sparked different reactions within Iraq’s diverse factions.
Christian and Shabak representatives from Mosul welcomed the call and stated they too want to have their own province and administration after the liberation of Mosul.
“After the arrival of ISIS to the area and the support many Sunnis gave to ISIS in the region, this caused distrust between entities so it is impossible to live together as before,” Joseph Slewa, a Christian member of the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw.
He asked for the establishment of a Christian province in the Nineveh plains under UN supervision.
“There should be agreement with other entities such as Kakais, Kurdish Yazidi and Shabaks, to establish the province that for eight years should be under UN supervision. Then the people can decide about the fate of the province, whether they want to stay with Iraq or join the Kurdistan Region,” Slewa said.
There are 56 Shabak villages in Nineveh which are in Qaraqush, Nimrud, Bartle, Tel Kaif and Bashiqa. The Shabak are an ethnic and cultural minority living in northern Iraq.
Salim Jumaa, a Shabaki MP in the Iraqi parliament, suggested that before the Mosul operation takes place there should be a road map that all the entities of Nineveh agree to.
“So far we have 1384 martyrs and 208 Shabaks who are still held captive by ISIS and their fate is unknown. Therefore we won’t stay with Mosul. We want to incorporate with the KRG [Kurdistan Regional Government] and become the fifth province of the Kurdistan Region,” Shabaki told Rudaw.
But the State of Law coalition, headed by former Iraqi prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki, considers this proposal a plan to divide the province.
“Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani has his own intentions and has his eye on Nineveh province. He wants to divide it and control part of the Nineveh land and incorporate it into Kurdistan. That’s why he asked for an early agreement before the Mosul liberation,” Awatif Naama, an MP from the State of Law, told Rudaw.
Mosul is the second largest province in Iraq. In June 2014, the Islamic State seized control. The city of Mosul and some areas of the province are still to be liberated from the terrorist group.
