UN Secretary General calls for restraint and de-escalation in Iraq
"He appeals for calm and restraint, and urges all relevant actors to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation."
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Monday called on Iraqi political actors to take "quick steps" to deescalate the situation and avoid violence in Iraq after violence erupted in Baghdad.
The Secretary-General @antonioguterres has been following with concern the ongoing protests in #Iraq today.
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) August 29, 2022
He appeals for calm and restraint, and urges all relevant actors to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and avoid any violence.
👇👇https://t.co/73HkEuRHHC
“The Secretary-General has been following with concern the ongoing protests in Iraq today, during which demonstrators entered government buildings,” Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
Guterres also expressed concern over reports of casualties.
As of Monday night, at least 14 people have been killed during clashes between rival armed groups and renewed protests in Baghdad.
Guterres appealed for “calm and restraint, and urged all relevant actors to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and avoid any violence.”
Moreover, he urged “all parties and actors to rise above their differences and to engage, without further delay, in a peaceful and inclusive dialogue on a constructive way forward.”
Several Iraqi politicians on Monday called for dialogue and calm.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani called on Monday the security forces to “cautiously” deal with the situation and prevent further escalations.
He also invited the relevant Iraqi political parties to hold a “serious dialogue” in the capital Erbil.
Read More: KRI President Barzani reinvites Iraq’s political parties to Erbil for ‘serious dialogue’
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani also said they are “following with concern the recent events and developments in Iraq.”
“I hope that everyone will feel responsible, exercise restraint, and not resort to the language of weapons and violence in resolving conflicts and problems.”
Read More: KDP President Masoud Barzani calls for restraint amid political turmoil
Hadi Ameri, the head of Fatah Coalition and member of Coordination Framework also called for calm and implores all sides to stop using weapons.
Populist leader Moqtada Al-Sadr also reportedly went on a hunger strike until violence ends in Baghdad.
Read More: UN mission in Iraq calls on protesters to leave Baghdad’s Green Zone
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) on Monday evening also called on all Iraqi parties "refrain from violence immediately. Restraint and calm is necessary for reason to prevail."
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, also in an earlier tweet called on all Iraqi parties "to prevent violence and bloodshed."
