Latest news with #SinjarAgreement
Iraqi News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
First International Yazidi Conference opens in Duhok
Duhok ( – The first International Scientific Conference on Yazidis commenced in Duhok governorate today, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Titled 'Religion, Culture, History, and Geography,' the two-day event brings together 105 researchers from 11 countries to highlight Yazidi identity, document their suffering, and correct misconceptions. However, proceedings included sharp criticism of the Iraqi government. In a seminar, Yazidi Member of Parliament Vian Dakhil decried 'continued government negligence,' stating the Yazidi cause lacks priority. She emphasized that thousands displaced from Sinjar since 2014 remain in difficult conditions in Kurdistan Region camps without lasting solutions. Dakhil demanded Baghdad implement the Sinjar Agreement with Erbil, or at minimum, facilitate IDP returns, rebuild infrastructure, and ensure security in Sinjar, arguing official inaction perpetuates Yazidi marginalization. Karwan Ajeeb of the Lalish Cultural Center confirmed the conference features seminars on Yazidi challenges, aiming to define their unique culture and counter misinformation. The event serves as both an academic platform and a spotlight on urgent humanitarian and political issues facing the community.
Shafaq News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Erbil presses Baghdad to act on Sinjar deal
Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Regional Government reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Sinjar Agreement with the federal government, Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed affirmed on Tuesday. During the First International Scientific Conference on Yazidis held at the University of Duhok, Ahmed pointed out that the Sinjar Agreement aims to remove armed groups from the district, restore security, stability, and the rule of law, and provide a framework to facilitate the return of displaced Yazidi families to their homes. 'We hope that the federal government will take full responsibility to ensure the presence of a legitimate local administration,' he said. In 2017, following rising tensions between Baghdad and Erbil after the Kurdistan independence referendum, Iraqi forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took control of the district. Since then, the PKK, which opposes Ankara, has established a loyal faction known as the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), which continues to operate in the area and receives funding from the Iraqi government as a unit affiliated with the PMF. To address the instability, Baghdad and Erbil reached the Sinjar Agreement on October 9, 2020, aiming to normalize the situation in the district through joint administrative, security, and service arrangements. However, officials in the Kurdistan Region say political obstacles have prevented the agreement's full implementation. Despite the deal, clashes have occasionally erupted between competing forces in the area; the latest occurred on March 18 between Iraqi army forces and fighters from YBS, resulting in the arrest of five YBS members.
Shafaq News
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Protests in Iraq's Sinjar: Locals threaten escalation over YBS detainees
Shafaq News/ Dozens of residents in Sinjar, west of Iraq's Nineveh Province, staged protests on Tuesday, demanding the release of several detained members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS). A security source told Shafaq News Agency that demonstrators gathered near security headquarters in the Sinuni area, urging authorities to free those recently arrested by Iraqi forces. The protesters reportedly threatened to escalate their actions if their demands were not addressed. Recent security tensions in Sinjar between Iraqi security forces and the YBS, a military formation linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), have led to clashes and arrests in the region. Sinuni has been a hotspot for recurring tensions due to the presence of multiple security and military forces. Locals continue to demand the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement
Shafaq News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Armed groups block Sinjaris from returning home, official says
Shafaq News/ More than 300,000 displaced from Sinjar, Nineveh province, residents remain unable to return home due to the presence of unauthorized armed groups, a senior Kurdish official said Tuesday. The Director General of the Joint Crisis Coordination Center, Srwa Rasul, stated in a press conference that 'Kurdistan Region has hosted two million displaced persons and refugees since 2014, despite facing an ongoing financial,' noting that around one million displaced individuals remain in the region, underscoring the challenges in providing for them. She explained that the root causes of displacement persist, preventing many from returning, 'among them, 350,000 displaced Sinjaris remain in camps in the Kurdistan Region because the federal government has not resolved the issue of PKK forces and unauthorized armed groups in their areas.' Highlighting broader challenges facing displaced Iraqis, including security clearance procedures, Rasul pointed out that while joint committees between Baghdad and Erbil have been established, no tangible progress has been made on the ground. She further expressed hope that displaced Iraqis could return without demographic changes affecting their home regions. On August 3, 2014, ISIS attacked Sinjar, killing, injuring, and displacing thousands of Yazidis before Peshmerga forces reclaimed the area in 2015. In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed the Sinjar Agreement to restore stability, focusing on security, governance, and reconstruction. The deal mandates disarming non-state armed groups, deploying federal forces, and forming a new local administration. However, implementation faces hurdles due to political tensions, security threats, and damaged infrastructure. Multiple armed factions, including the YBS, Iraqi army, police, PMF, and Ezidkhan Protection Forces, remain active, complicating efforts to ensure displaced residents' safe return.
