Sunni Arab tribes support Kurdistan’s referendum, reject sanctions

“The Iraqi Parliament's decision to punish Kurdistan, from a moral and legal basis, is groundless. The Parliament does not have the legal right to make such decisions.”

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Sunni Arab tribes in the disputed areas outside of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) administration support the right of self-determination.

On Thursday, Sunni tribal leaders held a summit in Erbil under the banner ‘The Sunni Conference in Solidarity with Kurdistan’ to express their support for the independence referendum held in the Region on Monday.

In a statement following the conference, Sunni tribal leaders declared that the right to self-determination is a legitimate right’ of all peoples in line with every international principle and convention.

The Sunni tribal leaders rejected the political and media war being waged against the Kurdistan Region by the “sectarian statesmen [in Baghdad]” and the Sunni Arabs who have joined them.

“The Sunni Arabs declare their solidarity with the people of Kurdistan and respect their will and choice,” the statement read.

The Iraqi Parliament on Wednesday asked the Council of Ministers to take all measures against the Kurdistan Region following the landmark vote on independence, mandating the government take strict action against the Region.

The Iraqi Parliament's decision to punish Kurdistan, from a moral and legal basis, is groundless. The Parliament does not have the legal right to make such decisions,” the statement continued.

The tribal leaders also urged the parliament in Baghdad to make efforts to return displaced people to their liberated areas and to free thousands of innocent individuals held captive in Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi prisons.

On Sep. 25, the Kurdistan Region held a referendum on independence from Iraq.

The ‘Yes’ vote won with 92.73 percent according to the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission (IHERC), which announced the result of the poll on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Editing by G.H. Renaud