US urges Iraq to consult directly with Yazidis on Shingal

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States has urged Baghdad to consult with Yazidis directly as part of full implementation of the Shingal agreement in order to find a durable solution for families who have been displaced from their homes for almost a decade, a US State Department spokesperson told Rudaw.

"The upcoming 10th anniversary of the ISIS [Islamic State] genocide this year is a reminder of the urgent imperative to address the needs of to the Yezidi community. We encourage the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to demonstrate meaningful progress in implementing the Sinjar Agreement and advancing transitional justice and accountability for ISIS's international crimes," a State Department spokesperson told Rudaw on Friday via email.

The Shingal agreement was made in October 2020 between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to address insecurity and governance in the Yazidi homeland in northern Iraq. It has not been fully implemented and many Yazidi families are still living in camps in the Kurdistan Region, unable to return to their homes because of insecurity from multiple armed groups and a lack of reconstruction of homes, businesses, and basic services that were destroyed during the war against ISIS.

A new accord signed this spring between Arab community leaders and Yazidi tribal chiefs was criticized for omitting justice for the victims of ISIS. 

Yazidis have repeatedly complained that they have not been included in government decisions about Shingal.

"We encourage the government to consult directly with Iraq's religious and ethnic groups and address their needs, including through investing in new development efforts and reconstruction projects in the Yezidi homeland of Sinjar [Shingal], addressing security challenges, and creating safe, voluntary, dignified, and durable solutions for internally displaced persons," the spokesperson added.

Last week, US State Department Under Secretary Uzra Zeya visited both Baghdad and Erbil and discussed the Shingal agreement during her meetings with Iraqi and Kurdish officials.

She concluded her trip with a visit to the Yezidi holy temple Lalish on Friday where she met with Yazidi representatives.

"I have traveled here to Lalish so we can memorialize together the genocide against Yazidis and other ethnic and religious communities that occurred in this region ten years ago. The best way to honor the victims of the genocide is first to never forget them. But we can't simply just remember the names of those we lost, we must also care for the survivors - tens of thousands of whom remain displaced and yearn to return home - and deliver justice to those responsible for this tragedy," she said while in Lalish.

Shingal has seen instability, insecurity and lack of basic services since after the city was liberated from ISIS in late 2015. Various armed groups have gained a foothold in the area, including Iran-backed militias and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The US has encouraged the Iraqi government to address concerns over the role of militia groups in areas liberated from ISIS, including Shingal.

"The negative impact of militia groups on the security and stability of communities prevents IDP [internally displaced persons] returns and stymies local communities' economic development. Addressing these issues is key to ensuring that Yezidis and other IDPs can safely and voluntarily return to their homes," said Zeya.

According to Naif Saido, mayor of Shingal, 60 percent of Shingal's population, more than 130,000 people, are still living in camps and houses in the Kurdistan Region.