Latest news with #Shasho
Rudaw Net
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Yazidi commander says hand Shingal security over to Peshmerga
Also in Iraq Suspected Anfal executioner had plastic surgery to avoid detection Water level plummets in Iraq's largest dam Amnesty urges Iraq's parliament to reject controversial free speech bill Iraqi parliament to vote on controversial protest bill A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Yazidi commander on Friday called for Kurdish Peshmerga forces to be put in charge of security in the Yazidi-majority Shingal (Sinjar) district of northern Iraq where multiple armed groups and forces operate, impeding the return of thousands of residents who fled when the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked 11 years ago. 'Until Shingal's security file is handed over to the Peshmerga, the multiple forces and security problems will continue and the displaced will not trust to return to their homeland, and life in Shingal will not normalize,' Haider Shasho, commander of the Ezidikhan Protection Forces that are a Yazidi division within the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry, told Rudaw. 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. 'There are many conspiracies against Shingal and there are political parties in Iraq conspiring against Shingal. That's why the Shingal Agreement has not been implemented until now and the crisis and problems of the district remain ongoing,' Shasho said, calling on international actors to intervene and exert pressure on Baghdad to implement the deal. Shingal is part of the disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil. The areas stretch across several provinces, including Nineveh, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which remains unimplemented, provides a process for the KRG and the federal government to settle their disputes. 'We wish that if Shingal's security file is not handed over to the Peshmerga, at least those Peshmerga who are Yazidis should have their duties transferred to Shingal,' Shasho suggested, explaining that 'would provide important psychological assistance' to the Yazidis, 'most of whom are displaced and living in camps.' The Yazidis are an ethnoreligious group in northern Iraq that were subjected to countless heinous atrocities, including forced marriages, sexual violence, and massacres when ISIS captured the city in 2014, bringing destruction to many villages and towns populated by the minority group and committing genocide. They were forced to flee to displacement camps, mainly in the Kurdistan Region. Political disputes over the region between Baghdad and Erbil, as well as the presence of armed groups like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), have disrupted reconstruction of the city that suffered heavy destruction during the war against ISIS. International actors, such as the United Nations and the United States, have repeatedly called on Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to implement the agreement and 'break the political deadlock' in the city. Shasho said the PKK forces in Shingal 'should also lay down their arms' after the group dissolved itself and announced it was ending its decades-long armed conflict with Turkey. 'While the PKK is recognized as a banned organization in Iraq and has now dissolved itself, its armed members continue in Shingal and the Iraqi government supports them,' Shasho claimed. The Yazidi Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) and Ezidkhan Asayish were formed by the PKK to oust ISIS. They control parts of the district. The PKK and its proxies have rejected the Shingal Agreement. Nwenar Fatih contributed to this report.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Trees being removed along Mahoning River
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Youngstown is in the process of removing some trees along the banks of the Mahoning River. The removal is around a short quarter-mile stretch between West Avenue and the B&O train station. Director of Public Works Chuck Shasho says the money came from Ohio's allocation of American Rescue Plan funds. Shasho called it a maintenance project but says the city is looking at the possibility of making it a riverwalk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Rudaw Net
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish military judge warns against 'desertion' of Yazidi Peshmerga fighters
Also in Iraq Iran cuts Diyala province electricity: Local official Iraq introduces electronic entry visas for select nations Disarming PKK could ease implementation of Shingal Agreement: Yazidi commander Baghdad builds Shingal irrigation project to revive farmland, create jobs A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Some members of an all-Yazidi brigade of Peshmerga forces announced on Saturday that they had "resigned" from their brigade and announced their plan to join the Iraqi army. However, a Kurdish military judge warned on Sunday that the move is illegal, adding that it could harm Erbil-Baghdad relations. A representative of the deserted Peshmerga fighters, who were part of the Shingal (Sinjar) brigade - an affiliate of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) - on Saturday told journalists in Baghdad that they 'resigned' from their military duties 'within the borders of the Kurdistan Region' and from 'all military and partisan ties binding us' to Erbil. They claimed the move was in rejection of the Kurdistan Region's policies against the Yazidis and the 'exploitation of their suffering for political gains.' Kurdawan Naqshbandi, a Kurdish military court judge, told Rudaw on Sunday that if these Peshmerga fighters answer to Iraq, it would be considered 'defection,' adding that it will also be a 'violation of military discipline.' 'If the Iraqi army accepts their defection, it will create a new point of contention with the Kurdistan Region,' Naqshbandi warned, urging relevant authorities in Baghdad to handle the situation responsibly. The Kurdish and Iraqi governments have yet to comment on the matter. Naqshbandi further clarified that Peshmerga forces joining the Iraqi army without the official approval of Erbil is illegal and that such a move is illegal. According to the military laws in the Kurdistan Region, those who defect will face trial in the military court under Article 48 of the Military Penal Code. The brigade claimed that they consist of over a thousand fighters, including high-ranking officers, but their commander told Rudaw that their number is less than 200 fighters and do not include senior officers. 'The number they announced, claiming it to be 1,200 people, has no basis and they are not even 200,' Qasim Shasho said. He noted that the brigade consists of around 8,000 members and will continue to fulfill their duty. Shasho said a number of the deserted fighters have returned to the brigade. Shasho's brigade was formed after the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in 2014, killing and kidnapping a large number of its residents. The presence of a variety of armed groups in Shingal has hindered the return of its people who fled the town during the ISIS attack.
Rudaw Net
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Disarming PKK could ease implementation of Shingal Agreement: Yazidi commander
Also in Iraq Baghdad builds Shingal irrigation project to revive farmland, create jobs Baghdad invites Kurdistan oil producers, KRG for talks PUK and KDP seek greater foothold in Baghdad, says Kurdish MP 95% fish, 30% buffalos in Iraq's marshes are lost: NGO A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Yazidi military commander said on Saturday that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) disarming could facilitate implementation of a long-stalled agreement to restore security to the Shingal (Sinjar) area by removing a major point of contention - the presence of PKK-affiliated groups - that Baghdad has repeatedly cited to justify delays. 'It is imperative for Shingal-based groups that are close to the PKK to listen to [Ocalan's] call,' Haidar Shasho, commander of the Ezidkhan Protection Units, told Rudaw's Nalin Hassan, referring to a message from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan that called on the group to disarm and disband. Shasho said that around 1,500 fighters affiliated with the PKK remain in Shingal, operating under different banners but maintaining influence over local governance and security structures. He said the Iraqi government should not allow these groups to hold weapons. The PKK gained a foothold in Shingal a decade ago when they fought against the Islamic State (ISIS). ISIS was declared militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017, but insecurity and lack of reconstruction have prevented many Yazidis from returning to their homes. 'There are groups in Sinjar that Baghdad points to as an excuse for delaying the normalization process. If these groups were to step aside, the situation could progress more smoothly,' Shasho explained. Shasho's force is aligned with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Other armed groups in the area are part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), in addition to those backed by the PKK who are occasionally the targets of Turkish airstrikes. 'The people of Sinjar have suffered enough. My message to these groups is to prioritize the interests of Sinjar and not sacrifice the future of our people for the benefit of others,' Shasho stated, warning that prolonged armed activity in the region could derail efforts to restore stability. He said that implementing Ocalan's message of disarmament would remove key obstacles to executing the Shingal Agreement and argued that certain factions linked to the PKK are being used as justification for Baghdad's hesitance to follow through on the agreement. The Shingal Agreement, brokered between Baghdad and Erbil in October 2020 with backing from the United Nations, aimed to remove non-state armed groups from the district and restore federal control, paving the way for the return of thousands of displaced Yazidis. However, implementation has been slow. Shasho said that the Turkish government must respond to Ocalan's call for peace 'with a fair policy' toward the Kurds by promoting the notion of equal citizenship. He also urged Turkey to acquit Ocalan, adding that the 'major responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to make a step and mold trust.'
