Coverage

Kirkuki families in Rania prepare to return for crucial census registration

Despite living in Rania for over three decades, many Kirkukis maintain a strong sense of identity tied to Kirkuk and see participation in the census as crucial to protecting their rights and highlighting the region's Kurdish heritage.

An aerial view of Kirkuk City. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
An aerial view of Kirkuk City. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Nov. 18, 2024

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kirkuki neighborhood in Rania stands as a testament to the resilience of displaced families from Kirkuk who found refuge there after fleeing persecution under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Since the early 1990s, these families have made Rania their home, with local residents welcoming them warmly and even naming a street “The Kirkukis Street” in their honor.

One of these displaced residents, Hedi, was born and raised in Rania after his family fled Kirkuk. Today, he runs a small business in the city. Yet, despite their roots in Rania, Hedi and his family have always remained connected to Kirkuk.

“We have always seen this as a duty to return to Kirkuk, whether it is for voting or the census,” Hedi explained to Kurdistan24 reporter Aras Ameen. “Especially for the census, it is important to register our family in our original place in Kirkuk to showcase the Kurdish majority there. This is a national duty.”

The displacement of over 4,500 Kirkuki families to Rania followed the 1991 Kurdish uprising.

While many returned home after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, around 750 families—totaling nearly 5,000 people—remain in Rania today. Like Hedi’s family, they are preparing to return to Kirkuk for the upcoming national census, which will include the Kurdish population for the first time in 37 years.

A Kirkuki resident of Rania emphasized the importance of this event.

“Previously, there were more than 4,000 Kirkuki families in Rania, Pishdar, and Bitwen. After Iraq’s liberation, many returned to Kirkuk. We still have about 750 families here. Now there is a chance to return and register our names in Kirkuk. The honorable Kirkukis will return and claim their rights as the original residents of Kirkuk. It is really important to not neglect this national duty,” he stressed.

The last census in Iraq, conducted in 1997, excluded the Kurdistan Region and displaced Kurdish citizens from disputed areas. The upcoming census will be a historic moment, including Kurds and allowing families to assert their presence in their ancestral homeland.

Despite living in Rania for over three decades, many Kirkukis maintain a strong sense of identity tied to Kirkuk and see participation in the census as crucial to protecting their rights and highlighting the region's Kurdish heritage.

The “Committee of Displaced Persons of Kirkuk in Rania,” established to advocate for these families, continues to play a pivotal role.

Even as these families have built strong social ties in Rania, their registered birthplace remains Kirkuk, and they return whenever key political events, like elections or the census, require their presence.

 

Further reporting was done by Kurdistan24 correspondent Aras Ameen.