The Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) acknowledged the persistence of disputes and confrontations involving political factions vying for control of the multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq in a statement on Sunday.
These disputes have escalated to the point of violence, leading to deaths and injuries among the local population, the PUK said.
The party revealed that it has been actively engaged with the Iraqi government for the past three days, urging them to fulfil their national and governmental responsibilities to prevent further clashes and casualties among Kurdish nationals and other communities in Kirkuk. The party called upon the Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, who also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, to personally intervene in the matter. They urged Sudani to collaborate with the city government, the army, and the Popular Mobilisation Forces to find a swift and peaceful resolution.
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In a separate statement, the leader of the party, Bafel Jalal Talabani strongly condemned any efforts to disrupt the sense of brotherhood and coexistence among Kirkuk’s diverse communities.
He also condemned the recent tension in Kirkuk, which has resulted in the death of four Kurdish protesters and the wounding of several others, and called for the swift arrest and fair prosecution of those responsible for the loss of life and injuries.
Additionally, the Kurdish politician criticised the use of Kirkuk and its residents as pawns in political disputes, describing this policy as unjust and evil.
Talabani called on all parties involved, especially the Iraqi government, to take immediate action to prevent further bloodshed and to restore peace to Kirkuk. He stressed the urgency of normalising the situation in the city and urged all parties to act responsibly and avoid sowing discord.
The unrest in Kirkuk erupted on Saturday when Kurdish demonstrators took to the streets to denounce the closure of the Kirkuk-Erbil road by Arab and Turkmen factions, opposed to the Iraqi government’s decision to return the headquarters of Kirkuk’s Joint Operations Command to Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Iraqi security forces opened fire on the Kurdish demonstrators, killing four and wounding many more.