As negotiations continue, the Sinjar Democratic Autonomous Assembly (MXŞD) vice co-chair Heso İbrahim has said there was not an alliance between the Iraq government and Êzîdxan Asayish (public security). “The Iraq government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) are insistent on implementing the agreement they signed”, said İbrahim.
According to Zeynep Durgut’s report for the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), following the agreement between the Iraq government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which was signed on 9 October, the deployment of more than eight thousand soldiers to Sinjar provoked strong reactions. At the same time, tension in the region soared after the attempt to remove Yazidi Asayish Centres (Yazidi public security forces).
Iraqi officials, facing the reactions of Yazidi people living in the region, had to make the decision not to close the Êzidxan Asayish centres in Sinjar, Sinûne and Xenasor following the meeting with the MXŞD.
The fate of the security system in Sinjar will become clearer after negotiations to be held in the coming days. MXŞD vice co-chair Heso İbrahim commented on recent incidents in the region.
“The agreement was a betrayal. Everyone in Sinjar understands that agreement in some way. They aim to implement a new decree through laws. The negotiations continue in the region, but there is no question of an alliance between the Iraq government and Êzidxan Asayish. Some alliances took place with Sinjar Defense Units (YBŞ). YBŞ has been located in some places. That is an attempt to defend against threats. As far as we are concerned, the KDP and the Iraq government are insistent on enforcing the agreement they signed. Our attitude is clear against that as well. Yazidi people will never accept that agreement and they are resisting against it. We will not leave both our Autonomous Administration and Êzidxan Asayish. We will never accept the removal of a force that protects us and our lands. Our negotiations and meetings with both sides continue on that basis. However, while those negotiations continue, we will not give up struggle. They aim to exercise control over Sinjar and rule it. They aim to disable Sinjar’s will and its power. However, we will persevere against it”.
Reactions to the KDP
İbrahim said that the claims about the deployment of Peshmerga forces in the region were false. “Even one Peshmerga was not placed either in Mediban nor Sibe Şêx Xidir. According to the information that the undersecretary of Peshmerga Ministry shared, the Peshmerga will not enter Sinjar. People consider Êzidxan Asayish to be their defence. The KDP cannot take the risk of placing Peshmerga forces in Sinjar. Because people do not want the KDP. However, if they come despite that fact, they might cause a massacre. People of Sinjar know well about the fact that the KDP’s Peshmergas are working for the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MİT). We clarify that the KDP works for Turkey. They aim to open a door to Turkey thanks to that agreement. Peshmerga’s aim to enter Sinjar is also related to that fact. The KDP has signed an agreement that will not endanger only Sinjar, but the whole of Kurdistan”.
‘We will not give up resisting and fighting’
İbrahim went on to recall the fight against the barbarity of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). “People from different religions and ethnicities have made a life in Sinjar. They try to forget ISIS by coming together. However, the agreement paves the way for new massacres. We will never accept it. We will resist continuously until we get a favourable result. Our appeal is: do not make the Yazidi people face a new decree. We will not give up resisting and fighting”.