Shiite militias in Kirkuk protest handover of KDP headquarters

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Members of the Shiite militias in Kirkuk on Monday protested in front of the province’s Joint Operations Command building, formerly the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) headquarters, in a bid to prevent the handover of the office back to the Kurdish party.

The protestors, some of whom are members of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, erected a tent in front of the building and blocked the main Erbil-Kirkuk road, causing a traffic jam in the area.

The gathering came as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani had recently notified the Iraqi forces, including the Shiite militias, to leave all the offices and headquarters that previously belonged to the Kurdish party.

Several 12th-grade students missed their second round of examinations on Monday due to the blockage, Kurdistan 24 has learned.

The party’s main headquarters, which used to serve as its Kirkuk leadership office, is currently used by the Kirkuk Joint Operations Command center. It was previously the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services headquarters after 2017 for a brief period.

The Iraqi Turkmen Front and Arabic Coalition headed by Rakan al-Jabouri, who has been acting as Kirkuk governor since 2017, have publicly opposed the KDP’s return to the oil-rich province.

The party has not officially commented on the handover decision by the Iraqi premier, waiting for “practical steps” to be taken, Kurdistan 24 has learned from its officials. Similar attempts previously have been futile, they say.

The KDP, which has the majority seats among the Kurdish parties in the Iraqi parliament, is planning to run in the upcoming provincial elections set for Dec. 18, 2023.

Kirkuk, along with parts of Diyala and Saladin provinces, has endured disputes between Kurds and the Iraqi governments over its territories for decades. Per the constitution, the status of these areas had to be decided by the local population in a referendum following the de-Arabization process by no later than 2007.

Additional reporting by Kurdistan 24 reporter in Kirkuk Dilan Barzan