Kurds have accused the Arab governor of the city of discrimination, claiming he’s taking away governmental and administration posts from people with Kurdish ethnicity.
Acting governor Rakan al-Jabouri took the position after the Iraqi central authority took control of the disputed city on October 16, 2017, following the failed Kurdish referendum for independence.
“In many state institutions there used to be Kurdish directors, heads of department and supervisors. They have been removed and replaced by people from other ethnic groups in an arbitrary manner,” says Rebwar Taha, a member of the Iraqi Parliament from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
He says that in addition to taking positions away from the Kurds, Jabouri has approved the return of Arabs, who were brought in by Saddam Hussein in the 1970s and 1980s to change the demography of the city.
But Hatem al Taii, spokesperson for the Arabic Council in Kirkuk, says that the Kurds’ allegations against the governor are unfounded.
“There was a clear marginalization and a dismissal against the Arab and Turkmen political powers. The Kurds were mainly represented in all the administrations and leadership posts in the governorate, and I believe it wasn’t fair.”
Rebin Sabour, a Kurdish citizen from Kirkuk, claims Kurds are being subjected to: “Arabization and humiliation on a daily basis”.
But al Taii says the governor has little say on many of the appointments the Kurds are complaining about.
“The majority of these posts are not controlled by the governorate of Kirkuk or the administration in Kirkuk. There are many posts that are under the power of the federal authority.”
Kirkuk is located 236 kilometers (147 miles) north of Baghdad.
It is inhabited by Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen, in addition to various religious groups such as Christians and Kakayis.
The city is also known as mini Iraq, in reference to the diverse nature of the people that live in it.
Reporting by Associated Press
