Senior commander of Ezidi Peshmarga fighters said Masoud Barzani, leader of Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP, vowed to solve payment issue of the 2,000-fighter unit.
Leader of these troops whom has resigned in November 2020 is back to duty. Qasim Shasho, KDP member and Ezidi Peshmarga commander, quit for not being involved in nomination and appointment of Ezidi spiritual leader, Baba Sheikh and Meer of the Ezidis.
“President Barzani did not accept my resignation from KDP so I agrred and decided to resume my duty as commander of Shingal Peshmarga troops in Shingal,” Shasho told KirkukNow. Shasho met Barzani in Pirmam, north east of Erbil, earlier this week.
Following the commander resignation, these troops tasked to protect Shingal have not been paid their monthly salaries for the last three successive months without any prior notice while in the past they were paid USD200 every 40 days. The unit was founded in 2014 based on orders of Masoud Barzani, then president of Kurdistan region.
“Kak Masoud have solved the problem and everybody will receive their unpaid salaries in the coming months and they will be paid on time with Peshmarga forces every month,” he added.
“Kak Masoud have solved the problem and everybody will receive their unpaid salaries in the coming months and they will be paid on time with Peshmarga forces every month,” he added.
Shasho said he discussed the current situation in Shingal with Barzani, Erbil-Baghdad agreement about Shingal and the security situation.
Qasim Shasho, Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP's member and Ezidi Peshmarga commander.
The Ezidi community was forced to establish their own militias as they were deserted by Kurdish and federal troops when Islamic State militants ISIS controlled one third of Iraq in 2014. ISIS militants have taken 6417 Ezdi women and children into slavery till 2015, only half of them have been freed up today. About 2,500 were buried in 80 mass graves and individual graves only one fourth have been exhumed.
Delay and non-payment of wages is due to the fluctuating economy of KRG as a result of diminishing oil prices under the pandemic fueling the standing dispute over oil exports with Baghdad and limiting revenues.
Beside the Kurdish troops, Iraqi security forces and other pro-Shiite and Pro-PKK troops have bases in the region. Popular Mobilization Forces PMF, a pro-Shiite militia, have doubled their presence in Shingal to 22,000 fighters last week, in preparation to any assault by Turkey to track PKK fighters in the region.
Part of Shingal unit is based at Sheikh Sharafaddin wholly shrine of Ezidisin Shingal and the rest in the Ezidi town of Sihela.
Shrine of Sheikh Sharafaddin, a wholly temple of Ezidis in Shingal. Photo exclusively for KirkukNow
The Kurdistan regional government's KRG ministry of Peshmarga denied concrete knowledge about the non payment of salaries of the Ezidi unit, unless it is related to disciplinary issues. Jabar Yawar, secretary general of the ministry early February said he is not fully aware of the problem. "Probably it is due to disregard of ministry request for participation in training."
Shingal fighters told KirkukNow they have not received any instructions from the ministry to participate in training.
In June 2020, over 300 Peshmarga fighters in Shingal were dismissed for dereliction of duty and noncommitment under Covid-19 curfew.
