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.