The road through Sihela, connecting Duhok to Zummar district and Shingal, was closed after Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi took control of Shingal and Snuny in mid-October. Many Yezidi personalities and organizations have called for the road to be reopened.
“Blocking this road has separated many families of Shingal. Some of them are here, some in Shingal. Two of my sons are in Shingal. We are waiting for the reopening of this road so that we can reunite,” said Ilyas Khalaf, a Yezidi living in Duhok’s Sharya camp.
With the Sihela route closed, people were resorting to a longer and more dangerous route through Mosul. Most of the Yezidis who fled their homes when ISIS took over in 2014 are still living in camps in the Kurdistan Region, waiting for security and services to return so they can go home.
“At the request of the people of Shingal, the Ministry of Peshmerga has decided to reopen the road between Duhok and Shingal. A checkpoint will be set up in Zummar after the road is reopened,” Babakir Zebari, supervisor of Peshmerga forces on West Dijla Front, told Rudaw.
Asthi Kocher, director of Asayesh in the area confirmed the decision to Rudaw, adding, “What remains to be done is a mechanism to control people’s travel.”
There is no confirmation, however, that Iraqi forces will open the road where it comes under their control.
“We don’t know what their stance will be,” said Kocher. “But we on our side have made a decision to reopen the road.”
A local official said he took the Peshmerga decision to the Iraqi forces, visiting the federal police on Sunday.
“They said they won’t reopen the road without an order issued from above,” Ahmed Mala Hasan, president of the council of Zummar sub-district, told Rudaw.
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