ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Karim Sinjari, who served as Kurdistan Region’s interior minister for several terms, passed away on Tuesday after a long battle with illness. He was remembered by prominent Kurdish officials and politicians as someone who worked with a “patriotic spirit” during his tenure.
Sinjari had been battling cancer for many years before he passed away at a Dubai hospital on Tuesday.
Kurdistan Region’s leaders and politicians sent condolences for the death of the longtime minister and a senior member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Describing the late minister as a “distinguished leader,” President Barzani offered his “heartfelt condolences” to Sinjari’s “family, friends, and comrades.”
President Nechirvan Barzani praised Sinjari’s lifelong commitment to the Kurdish cause, saying he was raised in a family “with strong patriotic values” and “devoted his life to the welfare of his people and country, serving as a Peshmerga with unwavering integrity, loyalty, and a profound sense of responsibility.”
He persistently worked with a patriotic spirit and aspired to serve his people and country to the best of his abilities.”
Abdul Karim Sultan Abdullah, commonly known as Karim Sinjari, was born in Mosul in 1950. He took part in both the Aylul and Gulan Revolutions as a member of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
The Aylul Revolution, launched on September 11, 1961, was a major Kurdish uprising led by the late KDP leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani - the father of preeminent Kurdish leader and head of the KDP Masoud Barzani and grandfather of current Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Meanwhile, the Gulan Revolution was a renewed Kurdish uprising launched in May 1976 by Masoud Barzani. The uprising marked a critical continuation of organized Kurdish resistance against the oppressive Baathist regime ruling Iraq at the time. Its primary goal was to reaffirm the Kurdish people's unwavering will for self-determination.
Masoud Barzani also extended his condolences for the passing of Sinjari.
“Karim Shingali [Sinjari] was a Peshmerga of the Barzani path and Kurdishness. For me too, he was a close comrade and companion on the path of struggle. He dedicated his life for the righteous cause of the people of Kurdistan and the achievement of the noble goals of the people of Kurdistan. His loss is a great cost,” the preeminent Kurdish leader said.
He added that throughout different phases of the Kurdish struggle, Sinjari “has always been one of the capable and tireless cadres of the party and the Kurdistan liberation movement. From the beginning and the launch of the Gulan Revolution, he was an active and key commander. Also, during the era of mountain struggle and after the uprising, and in political, administrative, and diplomatic affairs, he carried out his duties with dedication and very well."
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also joined the mourning of the late minister who served under his cabinet.
"The news of the passing of the late beloved Karim Shingali, former Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region and a prominent and well-known leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, has deeply saddened me,” he said, describing him as “a tireless and brave Peshmerga fighter throughout all stages of the struggle of the people of Kurdistan, a renowned activist, and a patriotic personality.”
In addition to his role in the foundational uprisings of the Kurdish struggle, Sinjari went on to hold several key positions within the Kurdistan Region's government.
He served as Director General of the Region’s local security forces (Asayish) from 1993 to 1994 and later as minister of interior in the KRG for four terms.
In 2022, Sinjari traveled abroad to receive medical treatment, remaining under medical supervision thereafter. At the time of his passing, he was serving as a director at the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
