Yazidis reject agreement signed by South Kurdistan and Baghdad

Yazidi organizations have reacted to the agreement on Shengal concluded between the Iraqi government and the South Kurdish ruling party KDP.

In a statement the Yazidis Central Association, the women's association and other organizations, said that the agreement lack of any legitimacy because those affected were not included in the decision-making process.

The agreement signed in Baghdad is the result of lengthy negotiations under pressure from the USA.

The statement by the Yazidi organizations said: “We see with great dismay that the Iraqi government is giving in to pressure from the despot Erdogan by concluding agreements regarding the Yazidis, which completely undermines the interests of the Yazidis. It is more than astonishing to see that the Iraqi government, together with a power center like the Kurdish regional government, makes decisions for the “protection of the Yazidis” without consulting the Yazidis and their representatives.

This is the same power centre that withdrew its thousands of Peshmerga without fighting during the genocide carried out in Shengal on August 3, 2014 and thus handed over hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to the Islamic State. To make matters worse, an agreement has been reached which fully corresponds to Erdogan's wishes and political-geostrategic objectives. This is a catastrophic development for the Yazidi society and, therefore, completely unacceptable. This strategy, if pursued and implemented in this way, can and will only force the process of emigration of the Yazidis.

All decisions and agreements made by forces that lost their legitimacy as a result of their contribution to the genocide in August 2014 are illegitimate in the eyes of the Yazidis.”

The statement ended with the following remarks: “We primarily call on the Iraqi government, but also on all international organizations such as the UN, the Council of Europe, the EU and the influential countries to use their influence to preserve the existence of the Yazidi society. Our appeal is also addressed to all Yazidis and democratic forces to raise their voices against such machinations and to protest."

The statement is signed by the Central Association of Yazidi (NAV-YÊK), umbrella organization of the Yazidi women (SMJE), MŞD, the Association of the Young Yazidi (HCE), the alliance of the Yazidis from Syria (YES) and the coordination of the Yazidi village communities from Turkey (KMGE).

BACKGROUND

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, “With the historic agreement sponsored by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the central government will be responsible for the security of Shengal and end the existence of uninvited guest groups will be ended. The agreement will also pave the way for the full reconstruction of the district and the return of those displaced.”

The declaration further states that the agreement concluded will have positive effects at local and international level, reminding the fact that there is still no stability in Shengal is due to the "Islamic State" (IS), and even today there are still insufficient services in the region. Al-Kadhimi had promised to make every effort to find the Yazidis who are still missing. For a successful implementation of the agreement, the central government will cooperate with the Kurdish regional government in a coordinated manner, he said and added that the help of the population of Shengal is also necessary for this.

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