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Iraq
Iraqi mourners attend a mass funeral for supporters of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr who were killed during clashes in Baghdad's Green Zone in Najaf on August 30, 2022. Photo: Ali Najafi/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi parliament on Wednesday announced a three-day mourning period after violent intra-Shiite clashes killed at least 30 people in Baghdad earlier.
Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi declared “a three-day mourning period in the parliament for the souls of the martyrs of Iraq from demonstrators to security forces” upon the request of the MPs, read a statement he published on his social media accounts.
The statement added that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has also called for public mourning in the country following the recent events that unfolded in Iraq.
Tensions escalated in Baghdad on Monday after Sadr said he was quitting politics, setting off violent clashes between his supporters and Coordination Framework loyalists in the capital's high-security Green Zone which led to the death of at least 30 people.
The framework also said that they would hold a funeral for the deceased in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood on Thursday.
Clashes overnight escalated between the Sadrist loyalist Saraya al-Salam militia and armed groups affiliated with Iran.
The raging fight resulted in the injury of over 500 people, AFP reported.
Clashes quickly died down on Tuesday after Sadr gave his supporters one hour to withdraw from the Green Zone or face consequences, expressing strong condemnation for the Sadrist Movement's rather violent stance. His supporters swiftly answered his call and immediately began leaving the area.
They were soon followed by Coordination Framework loyalists, who joined their rivals in withdrawing from other parts of the capital.
Iraq has been engulfed by a political deadlock for months. The situation escalated in late July after Sadrist supporters stormed the Iraqi parliament, demanding its dissolution and holding early elections. Later in August, the Shiite cleric called on Iraq's judiciary to dissolve the parliament and his protestors flocked to the council's building, despite it affirming that it does not reserve the right to execute his demands as it cannot interfere in legislative or executive matters.
PM Kadhimi on Tuesday threatened to vacate his post if the political impasse continues.
“I warn from here that if they want to continue to stir up chaos, conflict, discord, and rivalry … I will take my moral and patriotic step and vacate my post at the appropriate time,” Kadhimi said distraughtly.
Meanwhile, President Barham Salih stressed that the end of clashes in the capital does not mean the end of the political crisis in the country, attributing the unrest to the failure of the governance system.
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