Iraq News Now

Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani reiterated his demand for the Iraqi federal government to fully implement the Sinjar Agreement, urging the international community to assist displaced Yazidis in returning home.

Barzani's comments came during a speech at the opening of a project supporting Yazidi survivors of ISIS captivity in Erbil.

"The Yazidi community continues to suffer despite a decade passing since the genocide," Barzani said. "The situation in Sinjar remains unstable, hindering the return of displaced Yazidis."

He blamed militia control for the Yazidis' inability to return. "Displaced Yazidis haven't been able to return to their areas due to the presence of militias and outlaw forces," Barzani added.

The Kurdish premier emphasized support for "normalizing the situation in Sinjar and fully implementing the Sinjar Agreement."

He shed light on the Kurdistan Regional Government's efforts to aid Yazidis, including "providing monthly assistance to over 3,000 Yazidis, with plans to increase this number as the economic situation improves."

Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement in October 2020 to normalize the situation in Sinjar, including joint administration of the district. However, the agreement remains stalled due to political reasons, according to Kurdish officials.

ISIS militants had overrun Sinjar in 2014, committing atrocities against the Yazidi population. Peshmerga forces recaptured the district the following year.

Following tensions between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government over the 2017 independence referendum, the Iraqi army, backed by the Popular Mobilization Forces, assumed control of Sinjar.

Currently, Sinjar has two local administrations: one appointed by the federal government and another operating from Dohuk Governorate.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) also maintains a pro-PKK faction in Sinjar known as the Sinjar Protection Units, which receives Iraqi government funds as part of the Popular Mobilization Forces.