UK hopes mayor to be appointed in Sinjar to supervise reconstruction

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Kingdom hopes a mayor to be appointed in Sinjar to supervise the reconstruction process in the war-battered Yezidi area, the country’s chief diplomat in Erbil said on Thursday.

The UK Consul General Rosy Cave’s remarks came during a speech she had delivered at an event to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the Yezidi genocide.

“We hope to see a mayor in place in the very near future to start managing the funds allocated to Sinjar and its reconstruction,” Cave said, describing the appointment as the “vital first step”.

The diplomat added that London supports Sinjar Agreement, a deal that was struck between Erbil and Baghdad in September 2020 to normalize the situation in the town and reconstruct the conflict-ridden area.

The ongoing presence of militia forces, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is cited as the main barrier for impeding the implementation of the deal, which has been supported by the US, the UK, and the United Nations.

Ms Cave highlighted the British aid support for the Yezidi community and other groups affected by conflicts.

The UK has contributed more than £270 million, including two £2 million to the UN investigative body in the crimes of ISIS, known as UNITAD, she said.

In August 2014, the so-called Islamic State militants attacked the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar and nearby villages, killing at least 5,000 Yezidis as well as enslaving 6,000 women and minors. Around 400,000 others were displaced by the offensive.

A number of countries and the United Nations have acknowledged that acts of genocide had been committed by ISIS against the group. On Tuesday, the UK formally recognized the atrocities as genocide.

The Kurdish region has also established an office to rescue the kidnapped Yezidis since 2014. More than 3,500 Yezidis have been rescued so far, according to Kurdistan Regional Government data.