Ezidi mayor says Baghdad responsible for deteriorating conditions in Shingal

The mayor of Shingal has appealed to the Iraqi government to begin the reconstruction of the war-torn region and provide better conditions for its residents.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The mayor of Sinjar (Shingal) has appealed to the Iraqi government to begin the reconstruction of the war-torn region and provide better conditions for its residents.

Since the so-called Islamic State’s (IS) genocide of the Yezidi (Ezidi) minority in August 2014 and Shingal’s liberation a year later, tens of thousands of people from the area remain in displacement camps and cannot return to their homes due to security concerns.

During a press conference in Duhok on Tuesday, Shingal’s mayor Mahma Khalil said the Iraqi government has not upheld its responsibility to reconstruct the war-torn area and compensate the victims despite their constant demands.

“The people of Shingal are suffering from tragic situations. There is no sufficient agriculture in the region and the amounts distributed by the humanitarian organizations have not been distributed fairly,” Khalil told reporters.

The Shingal mayor appealed to Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi and his parliament “to impose the law on Shingal and its institutions.”

He also said the “illegal presence of some forces is an obstacle for the return of Ezidis to their areas,” referring to the Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias who allegedly violate the rights of people in the region.

On Monday, 30 Ezidkhan Protection Force fighters were arrested by the Hashd al-Shaabi’s Badr Organization. They were released shortly after mediation efforts. 

Khalil called on the United Nations and the international coalition to prevent another disaster against the Ezidis from occurring in Shingal.

The Ezidi official noted that former Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani “has never abandoned” the religious minority and called on him to “rid Shingal residents of their suffering.”

Officials say Barzani’s visit in November to Baghdad had a substantial impact on the reopening of the Sihela – Shingal road. However, Khalil noted that this is only one step among many to facilitate the return of displaced Ezidis.

Due to its strategic location on the Syrian border, Shingal has suffered from political tensions and conflict between various Kurdish and Iraqi forces since 2014. 

“We are a historical, geographical, and social part of the fabric of the Kurdistan Region and we demand the implementation of Article 140 urgently to resolve the situation,” Khalil said, pointing to the need for Iraq to apply the country’s constitution.

Shingal is one of the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and is inhabited by a majority of Ezidis. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution calls for a referendum in disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad to decide who governs them.

Most of the Ezidi factions in Shingal prefer autonomous status and international protection. However, some want this region to be under Baghdad, while others prefer the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Meanwhile, some Ezidi leaders have called on the new Iraqi and Kurdish governments to create a governorate in the Shingal region as part of the Nineveh Plains, similar to Halabja in the east.

“It’s very important for Shingal to be a governorate, for its own services, administration, and security. We hope we can achieve that,” Haider Shasho, the Head of the Ezidi Democratic Party, told Kurdistan 24 on Monday.

“We need a good administration that can serve our people in the future.”