Hashd al-Shaabi replaces Khurmatu's Kurdish mayor with Shia one

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Iranian-backed Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militia on Monday appointed a new mayor for the disputed town of Khurmatu, replacing the Kurdish one.

In a meeting held in Kirkuk, Ahmed Jibouri, the Governor of Salahuddin, and Hadi al-Amri, a Hashd al-Shaabi commander, agreed on the distribution of posts in Khurmatu.

Khurmatu, located in northern Salahuddin Province, is a diverse town which consists of Kurds, Shia and Sunni Arabs, and Turkmen.

Following the Oct. 16 attack and takeover of Kirkuk Province by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed Shia militias, hundreds of people, including Kurdish officials, from Kirkuk and Khurmatu were forcibly displaced to the Kurdistan Region, most of the victims being Kurds.

Since then, Iraqi government forces and Shia militias have filled most governmental positions in those areas, creating fear of another Arabization campaign—similar to Saddam Hussein’s—among the Kurdish population in the disputed territories.

Mala Hassan, a member of the Salahuddin Provincial Council (SPC), confirmed to Kurdistan 24 that the Hashd al-Shaabi had assigned someone to replace the Kurdish mayor of Khurmatu.

However, he pointed out that based on the election results in Khurmatu, the mayoral position had to be designated to the Kurds.

Hassan told Kurdistan 24 that he had spoken with the Governor and the head of the SPC regarding the issue, adding he had “informed them to postpone the process until all the displaced Kurds return to their areas and the town is stable.”

“I urged them to make the return of the displaced people a priority, not governmental posts,” Hassan stated.

According to Hassan, not only have the Kurdish officials been replaced with Shia ones, but Sunni Arabs were also ousted from their posts.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany