Iraq urges increased international recognition of Yazidi genocide
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's foreign ministry on Sunday called for increased international cooperation to rescue Yazidis in captivity, urging greater recognition for the Yazidi genocide by the Islamic State (ISIS) on its 11th anniversary.
In a statement, the ministry called on 'countries to recognize the crimes committed against the Yazidis and other communities as genocide,' urging the need for 'international cooperation to rescue the abducted and to strengthen joint work with governments and international organizations to prevent the reoccurrence of such crimes.'
Baghdad further condemned the genocide, stressing that it remains committed to 'achieving justice, international recognition of the genocide, and moving forward on the path of recovery.'
ISIS launched a brutal offensive across swathes of northern and western Iraq in June 2014. By August, the group began its onslaught on the Yazidi community in their heartland of Shingal in Nineveh province, killing an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Yazidi men and older women.
The jihadists also abducted some 7,000 women and girls for sexual slavery and human trafficking. Around 400,000 Yazidis were forced to flee, with most seeking refuge in the Kurdistan Region, according to data from the Office for Rescuing Abducted Yazidis, operating under the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
The Yazidis were subjected to heinous atrocities under ISIS's brutal rule, including mass killings. The jihadists brought destruction to many villages and towns populated by the community and committed genocide.
The United Nations and several Western countries have recognized ISIS's crimes against the Yazidis as genocide.
In 2020, the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed the Shingal Agreement to restore governance, security, and stability to the district and resolve a number of issues that have prevented the return of its inhabitants. Under that deal, Baghdad was to assume responsibility for security, expelling all armed groups and establishing a new armed force recruited from the local population.
The agreement has never been fully implemented and thousands of Yazidis are still unable to return home.
On Sunday, the Kurdistan Region's leaders renewed calls for the agreement to be implemented.
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