Iraqi protest in Baghdad demands cancellation of Khor Abdullah agreement
The Iraqi protest in Eagles Square, located in the Mansour district, saw participants raising banners and chanting slogans directly criticizing the government and various political entities. Their ire was directed at what they perceive as continued adherence to the Khor Abdullah agreement, an issue that has become a flashpoint for national sovereignty concerns. Activists from several southern governorates traveled to join the demonstration, indicating the widespread nature of the discontent. They also warned of an expanded scale of protests if their demands for the agreement's annulment are not met.
The Khor Abdullah agreement, signed in 2012, is a maritime navigation accord between Iraq and Kuwait. It was framed as a technical and administrative response to the consequences of the 1990 invasion by Saddam Hussein's regime and the subsequent border demarcation mandated by United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 833 of 1993. Crucially, Article 6 of the agreement itself explicitly states that it 'does not affect the borders between the two parties in Khor Abdullah as determined by Security Council Resolution No. 833 of 1993.'
The agreement's ratification law (Law No. 42 of 2013) was approved by the Iraqi Council of Ministers in late 2012 and subsequently by the Council of Representatives with a simple majority. This specific ratification process has since been the subject of legal challenges, with the Federal Court issuing a decision that lawmakers assert invalidates the legal basis for its implementation in Iraq. This ongoing legal and political dispute fuels the public sentiment reflected in the Iraqi protest today.
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