U.S. Calls for ‘Full Implementation’ of Sinjar Agreement

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) – As Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, visited Baghdad, Erbil, and Lalish, the spiritual center of the Yezidis, a State Department Spokesperson detailed U.S. policy to Kurdistan 24. 

Above all, the Spokesperson affirmed the need to implement the 2020 Sinjar Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil, which is meant to facilitate the return of the Yezidis to their ancestral homeland in northern Iraq, in the Nineveh Plains.

With ISIS’s sudden emergence in August 2014, as the terrorist group crossed from Syria, where it was formed, into Iraq, it launched a murderous assault on the Yezidis. Some 5,000 people were killed, while some 400,000 fled for safety. 

Ten years later, the vast majority—nearly 300,000 people—remain in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps in the Kurdistan Region. That is because much of Sinjar remains destroyed and unfit for habitation. In addition, there are security problems, created by the presence of militias.

In Zeya’s meetings in Baghdad and Erbil, implementating the Sinjar Agreement was a major point of discussion, including in her meeting on Thursday with Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG.) 

The KRG is keen to see the agreement for a number of reasons, including that it would prefer not to be hosting large numbers of displaced persons. 

Read More: Prime Minister Barzani Meets US Undersecretary of State Uzra Zeya

State Department: Need to Implement Sinjar Agreement

“The upcoming 10th anniversary of the ISIS genocide this year is a reminder of the urgent imperative to address the needs of the Yezidi community,” a State Department Spokesperson told Kurdistan 24 on Friday. “We encourage the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to demonstrate meaningful progress in implementing the Sinjar Agreement” and advancing “justice and accountability for ISIS’s international crimes.”

“During Under Secretary Zeya’s trip to Baghdad and Erbil, she affirmed the U.S.’s support of the full implementation of the Sinjar Agreement with the Iraqi Federal Government and Kurdistan Regional Government,” the Spokesperson said.

The Spokesperson also stressed the importance of coordinating with local communities, as the agreement is implemented.

“We encourage the government to consult directly with Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups and address their needs,” the Spokesperson continued, “including through investing in new development efforts and reconstruction projects in the Yezidi homeland of Sinjar, addressing security challenges, and creating safe, voluntary, dignified, and durable solutions for internally displaced persons.”

Under Secretary Zeya in Lalish

Zeya visited Lalish on Friday, where she met with leaders of the Yezidi community. Speaking outside the temple, she called on the Iraqi government “to "make meaningful progress on appointing a mayor in Sinjar; to continue recruiting a local police force in Sinjar; and to continue recruiting reconstruction and service ministry staff deployments in underserved areas.”

“We've also encouraged the government to address concerns over the role of militias in areas liberated from ISIS, such as Sinjar, the Nineveh plain and the homelands of other components of Iraqi society,” she continued. 

“The negative impact of militia groups on the security and stability of communities prevents IDP returns and stymies local communities’ economic development,” she explained, but “addressing these issues is key to ensuring that Yezidis and other IDPs can safely and voluntarily return to their homes.”