Iraq announces ‘historic’ deal with KRG over disputed Shingal
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Baghdad on Friday reached a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over the governance and security of the disputed district of Shingal in Nineveh province, according to Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s spokesperson.
Kadhimi “sponsored a historic agreement which will bolster the federal authority in Shingal as per the constitution in terms of governance and security,” tweeted Ahmed Mullah Talal.
The deal “ends the authority of intruding groups and paves the way for the reconstruction of the city and the full return of its people in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government,” he added.
The agreement was announced after a meeting between representatives from Baghdad and Erbil. "It's a good agreement, and we had a good meeting with the Iraqi prime minister in the presence of UN and Iraqi sides," KRG Interior Minister Reber Ahmed told Rudaw.
He said he hoped the agreement will help displaced families return to their homes.
Details of the agreement have not been immediately released.
Shingal is the homeland of the Yezidis, most of whom remain displaced six years after the Islamic State (ISIS) committed genocide against the minority group. Since ISIS was ousted from the area, multiple civil administrations and armed groups have sought to stake a claim. There are as many as six armed groups vying for control, including federal and regional forces, Iraqi militias, and groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey has launched airstrikes on Shingal, targeting groups aligned with the PKK.
The deal reached today will “accelerate and facilitate the return of the displaced to the district,” according to a statement from Kadhimi’s office.
Delays in returning stability to the area and helping people to return home has come “at the expense of the people who suffered from Daesh [ISIS] terrorists yesterday and suffer from a lack of services today,” Kadhimi said in the meeting, according to the statement.
The federal and regional governments will work together to implement this agreement, “in cooperation with the people of Sinjar first,” he added.
Kadhimi also pledged that his government will work to find Yezidis still missing, years after they disappeared under ISIS rule. The fate of 2,880 Yezidis is still unknown.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani did not attend the meeting, but said he spoke about it with Kadhimi after the deal was signed.
It is “the outcome of months of serious work and discussions between the Kurdistan Regional government and the federal government,” read a statement from Barzani’s office. "Both sides agreed that Shingal will be jointly governed in terms of administration, security, and service. This agreement is a beginning for the implementation of Article 140 of the constitution."
Shingal lies within the areas claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad, as described in Article 140 of the constitution that outlines a plan to resolve the dispute.
Head of the United Nations mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed the agreement, saying it would usher in "a new chapter for Sinjar [Shingal], one in which the interests of the people of Sinjar come first."
Spokesperson Talal said that previous cabinets failed to create trust and return security and stability to the troubled region, but that Kadhimi has succeeded in this regard.
Murad Ismael, co-founder and former executive director of Yezidi advocacy organization Yazda, tweeted that he welcomes “in principle” any agreement that “normalizes the security and administration of Sinjar,” but is waiting to see full details of the deal.
The United States Embassy in Baghdad said it welcomed the Friday agreement, saying it hopes it will “lead to lasting security and stability for the Iraqi people in northern Iraq.”
Updated at 9:31 pm