The Iraqi army has moved 8000 soldiers to the Yazidi settlement area Shengal (Sinjar) in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) within the last four days. The Iraqi government justified this action with the border protection and the replacement of the forces stationed in Shengal. However, no troops were withdrawn, but new special units of police and military were brought into the region. This development can be traced back to an agreement concluded in October between the government in Baghdad and the Southern Kurdistan’s ruling party KDP.

Shengal is one of the Turkish army's targets in Kurdistan. In particular, the Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) are regarded by the Erdoğan regime and the KDP as belonging to the PKK. Because of the KDP’s close cooperation with the Turkish state, it is not unlikely that Turkish units are also involved in the mobilization. Part of the agreement between Baghdad and Hewlêr is the dissolution of the Yazidi self-defense forces.

Because of this worrying development, Yazidis and other Kurds have been taking to the streets in Europe for days, including in Geneva, Hanover, Brussels and Melbourne.

Rally in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva

In front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, Kurds have warned with a rally against another genocide against the Yazidi people. "The people of Shengal are not alone" and "We will not allow the 75th ferman in Shengal" was written on banners. The term “Ferman” goes back to the official massacre decrees of Ottoman sultans. Since then, the 74 organized waves of persecution and mass killings are called Ferman by the Yazidi people.

"Shengal stands for the history of the Kurdish people", said Geneva CDK chairman Salih Sağlam in a speech and stressed that; "The fate of the Yazidis must not be handed over to the KDP or the Turkish state. The people of Shengal are not alone."

A banner was also hung up on Lake Geneva to show solidarity with Shengal.

Hanover: Solidarity with Shengal

A solidarity action for Shengal also took place in front of the main train station in Hanover, where there was a protest against the occupation plan of the Iraqi government and the KDP, which had been drawn up at Turkey's request.

Protest in front of the Iraqi embassy in Brussels

In Brussels, a protest action against the occupation agreement took place in front of the Iraqi embassy. "We will not allow any occupation - neither by Iraq, nor by the KDP, Turkey or the IS," was the motto of the action.

Demo in Melbourne

In the Melbourne city of Australia, Kurds took to the streets to protest against the siege of Shengal by the KDP and the Iraqi army.

During the demonstration in front of Victoria Library, the activists condemned the military mobilization of the KDP and the Iraqi government in Shengal region and called for solidarity with the Yazidi community in the face of the latest developments targeting their future.