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Iraq
Mourners at the funeral procession of a prominent civil society activist in Karbala on December 9, 2019. Photo: Mohammed Sawaf/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday it had summoned the ambassadors of Britain, Germany, France and Canada over their condemnation of continued violence against protesters.
On Sunday, the three European ambassadors, British Ambassador Stephen Hickey, French Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Auber, and Ambassador Ole Diehl issued a joint statement following a meeting with Iraqi PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi.
The statement was unusually blunt, demanding that the Iraqi government hold killers of protesters accountable and prevent the powerful Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) paramilitaries, known as Hashd-al Shaabi in Arabic, from entering demonstration sites.
It condemned the killing of over 25 protesters in Baghdad this weekend and called for the Prime Minister to "ensure the protection of the protesters, and to urgently investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the killings."
"No armed group should be able to operate outside the control of the state," it added.
The statement was not welcomed by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which on Monday summoned the ambassadors, alongside the newly-instated Canadian ambassador of Iraq Ulric Shannon, who met with Senior Undersecretary Abdulkareem Hashim.
Shannon officially began his role as Ambassador to Iraq on Monday after a meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih.
A statement released by the Ministry labelled the ambassadors' statement as an "unacceptable intervention in the domestic affairs of Iraq, and a clear violation of the first article of [the] Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."
“The job of Ambassadors in Baghdad is to strengthen and bolster ties, and build the bases for joint interests without intervening in its [Iraq’s] domestic affairs,” the Undersecretary said, demanding Ambassadors adhere to “standards of diplomatic work”.
Iraqis have been on the streets protesting corruption, lack of employment, and the system since October 1 where they have been met with deadly force, including military-grade tear gas canisters and live rounds.
Protesters have been killed in a number of brutal attacks, including one on Friday that left more than 17 dead in Khilani Square, central Baghdad.
More than 420 protesters have been killed and 16,000 have been wounded since protests began.
European allies of Iraq and the United States, have stood by Iraqi protesters, demanding an end to violence.
“The fate of the Iraqi people cannot be distinguished from the interests of Canada in Iraq and in the region since it aims to reestablish stability, security, and prosperity,” Ambassador Shannon said on December 8, in response to claims he was intervening in domestic affairs by denouncing the violence.
Iranian-backed groups in Iraq are largely thought to be responsible for the killing of protesters. Their leaders, however, have accused the US and Israel of both fueling the protests.
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