october 11, 2020
Any Agreement That Does not Include the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Sinjar is Unacceptable
On October 9, the Iraqi government and the government of South Kurdistan issued a statement declaring they have mutually agreed on the future of Sinjar. Until now the details of the agreement have not been completely shared with the public. In its first reaction to the statement, the Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Sinjar declared that it had not been informed about the latest agreement. It further states that the latest decisions did not take its will into account and that it was not invited to take part in the talks and agreement. It declared that it would not accept any decision that does not take into account the position of the Democratic Autonomous Administration and the people of Sinjar. The Ezidi people, Ezidi parties, dozens of Iraqi MPs and communitv leaders supported the statement of Sinjar`s Democratic Autonomous Administration. We, too, express our support for the statement of the Autonomous Administration which represents the people of Sinjar.
The forces that left our Ezidi people defenseless in the face of the Aug. 3, 2014 genocidal attack of IS, are labeling as illegal those who saved the Yezidis and call on them to leave. This is unacceptable. The status of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Sinjar is legitimate and official. Today, those forces which abandoned the Ezidis to their fate call the protectors of the Ezidi people “forces that need to be removed”. This is neither politically nor morally acceptable. The forces that ran away in the face of IS-attacks and left the Ezidi women to be sold on slave markets now dare to have a say on the future of the Ezidi people and Sinjar. This is totally unacceptable.
Any agreement or negotiation that does not include the Democratic Autonomous Administration of Sinjar and the people is tantamount to disregarding the will of our Kurdish-Ezidi people living in Sinjar. This signing of this agreement under the supervision of the UN makes the current situation even worse. This means that secret diplomacy, fait accompli and massacres against our Ezidi people will continue in the future.
The propaganda of the pro-KDP media demanding the removal of PKK forces from the region illustrate the hidden goal of this agreement. The HPG forces saved our Ezidi people from a genocide. Having completed their task they handed over the protection of Sinjar to the YBŞ and YJŞ forces and withdrew from the region. These forces are comprised of people originally from Sinjar. We condemn the latest claims which follow the propaganda line of the Turkish state.
It is absolutely natural for the Ezidi people of Sinjar to play the central role in the discussion about the future of the Autonomous Administration tasked with governing and protecting the region. A mechanism for negotiations and decision making regarding the Autonomous Administration needs to be put in place. Measures not taking into account these facts are dangerous and unacceptable.
Our people must take a clear stance everywhere against these plans. For six years an autonomous system of self-governance and self-protection has been in place in Sinjar. A constant struggle will be necessary until this system is accepted through future agreements. We call on all international institutions – first and foremost the UN – to adopt a clear stance against these wrong policies that endanger the future and life of our Ezidi people.
KCK Council for Foreign Relations