Supporters of Shingal Autonomous administrative Council, close to PKK, deny April 1st deadline set by Iraqi army for its security forces to evacuate downtown in a demonstration on Sunday, a statement by the demonstrators said.
The Iraqi army is trying to implement Shingal agreement agreed by Baghdad-Erbil last October. Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region Government KRG agreed to appoint a new mayor and jointly provide security by a unit of 2500 local volunteers in order to oust other militias in particular affiliates of PKK ( Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK, a Kurdish rebel group fighting Turkey and occupying northern Iraqi territories), Ezidkhan Asayish (Security) and Shingal Struggle Units YBSh.
"We will never accept Erbil-Baghdad agreement…..What happened to Shingal is due to Erbil and Baghdad policy," the statement said in reference to 2014 brutalities by Daesh against Ezidi minority civilians which mounted to genocide as the United Nations reported.
"We will never accept Erbil-Baghdad agreement…..What happened to Shingal is due to Erbil and Baghdad policy,"
Shingal autonomous administrative council earlier denied its Ezidkhan Asayish and YBSh to leave the town per Iraqi army request which set March 26th as deadline. The Council told the Iraqis in a meeting on March 12th the issue of its armed groups is political not security which requires a legal frame work not military. They passed a letter of 13 points mid March to Iraqi army whom promised to raise it to the senior commanders.
The council calls on Iraqi PM for an independent administration for Shingal, special forces embracing its security forces (Ezidkhan Asayish), revocation of Erbil-Baghdad (Shingal agreement) and holding Kurdistan democratic party KDP led by Masoud Barzani accountable, for leaving the civilians to face ISIS in 2014 when it took control of one third of Iraqi territories.
Seized by so-called Islamic State ISIS militants in August 2014, Shingal, a majority-Ezidi district on Iraq’s north-western border with Syria, has been the scene of tragedy: a genocidal campaign of killings, rape, abductions and enslavement, and the surviving community fled to safer-heaven IDP camps in the adjacent northern Kurdish region.
"You want to repeat the same policy in Shingal and poison us under the name of agreement which is not in the interest of Iraq unity and its people, serving special foreign agenda of KDP, Turkey, remnants of Daesh and their allies," the statement added.
"You want to repeat the same policy in Shingal and poison us under the name of agreement which is not in the interest of Iraq unity and its people, serving special foreign agenda of KDP, Turkey, remnants of Daesh and their allies,"
Shingal Autonomous administrative Council, a local civil administration founded few years ago and close to YBSh based in Shingal Mountain, in Khanasor northwest of Shingal. Ezidkhan Asayish, meaning security forces in Kurdish, has about 1,000 fighters and is part of YBSh in charge of the security in the area.
When Shingal fell under reign of Islamic State ISIS in August 2014, Iraqi troops backed by Kurdish Peshmarga (fighters) and pro- PKK fighters' ousted ISIS in October 2015 and deployed in the region.
"Your threats won't make us compromise our rights, if you want to impose the agreement by force then you will confront Shingal public opinion," the letter addresses Iraqi Pm Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
"This is a deal of treachery and treason. Military blockade us made us impatient and you have to be hold accountable for upcoming aftermath."
Senior Iraqi delegations have negotiated Shingal situation with the armed groups in Shingal lately yet no concrete deals made up today. In mid March, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesman of Iraqi joint operations command told Andul agency that Iraqi army was successful in evacuating all bases of armed groups in Shingal.
Following a meeting with the council on March 26th, Iraqi army extended the deadline to April 1st for armed groups to evacuate its bases in Shingal yet the Kurdish group denies any deal signed.
"Iraqi army insists to kick out Ezidkhan Asayish so we and the people won't accept it anyway because people believe in Asayish to protect them," Hasso Ibrahim, deputy of Shingal council, told KirkukNow.
"Iraqi army insists to kick out Ezidkhan Asayish so we and the people won't accept it anyway because people believe in Asayish to protect them,"
The complex texture of the security and administrative situation in Shingal is an aftermath of ISIS reign and a source of concern of the Ezidi community in general and in particular for those returned home in hope of leading a normal life post ISIS trauma.
Shingal, located 120 west of Mosul, centre of Nineveh province, on the border of Iraq-Syria, is home to the Ezidi religious minority and one of the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil.
In the Ezidi-dominant region of Shingal, only three thousand square km, Baghdad federal and Erbil regional governments compete to establish their rule: three local administrations want to administer the district, and eight different security forces are deployed.
The militant groups are Iran-backed Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces PMF, Shingal Protection Units (YBS) and Ezidkhan Asayish which are pro-PKK, local Police, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and KRG's Peshmerga (Kurdish fighter).
Early March, tensions erupted between Iraqi army and police in Shingal and Pro-PKK demonstrators protesting the decision of ousting their "Ezidkhan Asayish." Shingal administration which embraces some Arab tribe chieftains says it has come as a will of the locals and it represents them. On March 25th emergency meeting, it has come to a decision in its statement to "defend its achievements and protect the town and its people from any attacks by Iraqi or Turkish army."
Turkey-PKK tension is a concern for Ezidis of Shingal as the Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air raids on PKK bases in northern Iraq. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed end of January to attack Shingal at any time in pursuit of PKK-affiliated groups based in the region.
