ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - During an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS), Kurdistan Region’s President Nechirvan Barzani, UNAMI chief, and several diplomatic envoys to Erbil stressed the need to normalize the security situation in the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in hopes of securing a dignified return for members of the religious minority.
ISIS overran the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in August 2014 and committed atrocities including genocide against the group, more than 6,000 Yazidis were abducted and around 2,700 remain missing with little done to bring solace to the rescued.
"No one would have believed in the 21st century that such a heinous crime against humanity would be committed," said President Barzani in a keynote speech at the event, calling the ISIS atrocities against the Yazidi community an “unparalleled crime of the time.”
President Barzani established the Yazidi rescue office in 2014 to find and return the missing Yazidi women and children, which he promised will continue working tirelessly until every last missing Yazidi is found.
"As long as there is one missing Yazidi left, this genocide is not over," he added.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani embraces Adiba Murad, a Yazidi survivor, at an event in Erbil marking the ninth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 3, 2023
📸: Kurdistan Region Presidency pic.twitter.com/muCMIuQ8kJ
Representatives of the diplomatic missions in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region also highlighted the magnitude of the plight of the Yazidis, reiterating their commitment to supporting the Yazidi community and renewing calls for the implementation of the Shingal agreement.
"The weight of the recent past is heavier and more painful than any of us can understand," Dutch consul to Erbil Jaco Beerends noted.
Dutch consul to Erbil Jaco Beerends recognizes the "rich history" of the Yazidis, adding that the event is a signal of international support of the Yazidi community pic.twitter.com/x5aLFTI0ZJ
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 3, 2023
Sven Mossler, Acting German consul in Erbil, described the large community of Yazidis living in Germany as an "integral part" of the country, adding that the anniversary “serves as a reminder to ask ourselves what we could have done to prevent this."
"Today serves as a reminder to ask ourselves what we could have done to prevent this," Sven Mossler, Acting German consul in Erbil, said at an event marking the ninth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide pic.twitter.com/kRD3c9Qmy3
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 3, 2023
Baghdad and Erbil signed an agreement in 2020 to “normalize” the situation in Shingal, which includes the withdrawal of armed groups, including all Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-affiliated forces in the city. The agreement has been rejected by the PKK and its proxies.
President Barzani said that Shingal continues to struggle with a lack of security, stability, and job opportunities which are hindering the safe return of many of the town’s native residents. He called on the Iraqi federal government to reconstruct the Yazidi heartland, while also urging relevant authorities in Erbil and Baghdad to work on implementing the Shingal agreement.
"Now is an important time to call on the parliament, government, and political parties of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to hold a special meeting and follow up on previous agreements and find a quick practical solution for normalizing the situation in Shingal," he added.
Barzani also urged all unofficial armed groups, including the PKK and all it affiliated groups, to evacuate Shingal as they “have achieved nothing but creating more trouble, insecurity, and instability to Shingal and Yazidis and deepening their wounds.”
The security situation in Shingal remains dire, making it difficult and dangerous for many displaced Yazidis to return. Clashes take place between Iraqi army and the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), an all-Yazidi militia affiliated to the PKK. The YBS has also been affiliated to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which also maintains a significant presence in Shingal.
"Sugarcoating the situation will not help anyone, especially survivors," said Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), noting that while progress is being made, it is not being done fast enough.
"Each year we meet to make sure we never forget the horror" that took place against the Yazidis since 2014, UNAMI chief Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said pic.twitter.com/C5PF5JW1fV
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 3, 2023
The UNAMI chief called for the accelerated implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law and the appointment of a mayor in Shingal, saying that the Yazidi people deserve a future that they can believe in, starting today."
UK consul to Erbil Rosy Cave said that her country remains committed to the Yazidis and the implementation of the Shingal agreement.
"The UK is committed to supporting the Yazidi community and other communities that have suffered on the hands of Daesh [ISIS]," UK consul to Erbil Rosy Cave said at an event marking the ninth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide on Thursday pic.twitter.com/4MCr7y5osH
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) August 3, 2023
"They deserve to go home to a safe and secure city," Cave said of the need to return Yazidis to their homeland of Shingal, while recognizing that the dire security situation there remains an obstacle.
The Dutch consul echoed similar remarks while also calling for the compensation of survivors through the Yazidi Survivors Law.
The Yazidi Survivors Law formally recognizes acts of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by ISIS against the Yazidi, Christian, Turkmen, and Shabak communities by ISIS. It envisages a fixed salary, the provision of land, and allocates two percent of public sector jobs.
Around 10,500 Shingalis have applied for compensation through the Shingal Compensation Office since 2021 and although 5,000 of these claims have been approved, no family has received the funds to which they are entitled, Human Rights Watch reported.
YBS has controlled parts of Shingal since ISIS was defeated in the town but the presence of the force and several other forces in the district has been blamed for insecurity which has prevented thousands of its residents who fled due to the war on ISIS from returning. The YBS also attract Turkish airstrikes as it is regarded by Ankara as a front for the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey.
The US has also repeatedly called on authorities in Baghdad and Erbil to ensure the full implementation of the agreement.
