Ezidis ask to stop intra-clashes in Shingal, urge PKK to leave
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – On Friday, Ezidi leader called on colliding groups to achieve a peaceful solution after clashes erupted between Rojava Peshmerga and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) armed-wing in the northwestern city of Shingal, southern Kurdistan Region.
Mir Tahseen Beg, the main leader of Ezidis, told Kudristan24 that he wants a peaceful solution for the recent clashes between Rojava Peshmerga and Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), an armed-wing of PKK in Shingal area.
“We want brotherhood, and we are against fighting. We hope the issue will be solved in peace, not by violence,” Beg said.
On Friday morning, clashes broke out between two forces in Khanasor town located in northwestern Shingal where a YBS fighter was killed, three were injured and four more Peshmerga soldiers were wounded.
“We thank our PKK brothers for helping to rescue Ezidis two years ago… but those areas are part of the Kurdistan Region, and we ask them to leave the area and return to where they came from,” Hazim Tahseen Beg, the son of the Ezidi leader, told Kurdistan24.
Moreover, the Mayor of Shingal Mahma Khalil told Kurdistan24 that it is unfortunate that Kurdish blood was shed by the Kurds themselves again, blaming the PKK-affiliated armed-wing for starting the clashes.
“We have warned before about the presence of those forces in the area. We have repeatedly asked them to leave and hand over the governmental buildings, but they ignored the requests,” Khalil said.
He said on Thursday he was in contact with YBS and PKK to prevent clashes because it would not be in the interest of Ezidis or Kurds.
“We won’t accept the presence of foreign forces that impose themselves as rulers and control governmental buildings,” he continued. “There is a foreign force which pushes PKK to deploy in the area and that agenda is supported by Baghdad too.”
Khalil noted that they had asked the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraqi federal government, the US-led Coalition, and UNAMI to convince PKK armed-wings to leave Shingal at peace, but unfortunately the fighters remain in the area.
“They are a barrier for international organizations to investigate Ezidi genocide as well as reconstructing the city after liberation from the Islamic State (IS),” he added.
Khalil urged PKK fighters and its armed forces to leave Shingal the same way Peshmerga retreated from Kobani after helping the city in its fight against the IS.
In addition, the head of Lalish High Commission Sheikh Shamo, who is also an Ezidi member of parliament in the Kurdistan Region, told local Kurdish media in a presser that Kurdish intra-war is dangerous and will not serve Ezidi and Kurdish interest at all.
He mentioned that neither Khanasor nor any other Shingal areas will not be separated from the Kurdistan Region, claiming the KRG has always taken care of the Ezidis in the area since 2006.
“The solution for preventing clashes is that PKK and its armed-wings leave Shingal. The city won’t be stable as long as they stay. PKK should serve Kurdish cause, but they have become tools of some regional agenda,” Shamo said.
He accused PKK of making problems on a daily basis in Shingal as Kurdistan region heads toward establishing its statehood.
“PKK is trying to complete Shia Crescent by trying to control Shingal,” Shamo added. “It is not in Kurdish brotherhood spirit to help me against the enemy and then occupy my land."
