KRG challenges Baghdad's unilateral Sinjar security arrangements

Shafaq News- Erbil

The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Interior Ministry on Tuesday expressed concern over Baghdad's unilateral security arrangements in Sinjar, saying the federal government had proceeded without consulting Erbil in violation of the 2020 Sinjar Agreement.

In a statement, the ministry said the arrangements contradicted the agreement signed by Baghdad and Erbil in October 2020 under UN auspices, which was intended to restore security, establish a legitimate local administration and facilitate reconstruction and the return of displaced residents.

The ministry warned that imposing security and administrative arrangements outside legitimate institutions and without local acceptance would further complicate the situation and undermine efforts to restore normal life in Sinjar.

It recalled the Peshmerga's role in liberating Sinjar and Mount Sinjar from ISIS, saying 500 fighters were killed and 3,000 wounded in the operations, and urged the federal government to respect their sacrifices.

Read more: The long shadow of Sinjar: Twelve years after the ISIS genocide

That full implementation of the 2020 agreement was the only viable solution, the ministry insisted, arguing that it would allow Sinjar's legitimate representatives to establish an administration, strengthen security and create conditions for the voluntary and dignified return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Yazidis.

It called on Baghdad to honor the Sinjar Agreement and other political commitments made by successive federal governments concerning security, administration and reconstruction.

If implementation proved difficult, the ministry said, the decision should rest with Sinjar's residents, particularly Yazidis, urging all parties to respect their choice.

The statement followed Monday's announcement that Iraq had begun integrating the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), an armed Yazidi group linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), into federal security institutions.

Read more: YBŞ deal secures Sinjar’s mountain, leaves its administration unresolved

The YBŞ leadership said the agreement covered 4,165 fighters, while federal authorities began assuming security responsibilities on Mount Sinjar under the supervision of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.