Thread by @Free_Yezidi

Thread: Some initial comments, concerns, hopes on the new agreement between #Iraq and #KRG on #Shingal . Some aspects are positive, but some can prove problematic. #Yezidi #Yazidi

A primary source of concern is that the agreement and discussions were done without participation of #Yezidi #Yazidi community. We would like the intl community to call for local engagement in such negotiations.

Below is comment from @UNIraq .

We should empower and raise up the decision-making power exercised by the actual residents of Shingal. One positive development is attention from both governments to the reconstruction and better future for a neglected and destroyed part of the country.

Decisions to determine political leadership in Shingal should be according to the rights of its residents to have fair political and administrative representation. This is a basic right, and we hope this agreement would honor that.

It is important that the two governments in Baghdad and Erbil defer to the wishes and demands of the residents of the district.

Security is the most difficult issue in Shingal, according to residents of the area, international experts, and everyone else. It is the right idea to remove all the militias from Shingal, as this is detrimental to the people who lived there and want to return.

As long as it is an area for competition of militias, families will not want to return and cannot live safely. It is also the right idea that the people of Shingal to participate and take meaningful leadership positions in the security apparatus there.

The matter of PKK and affiliates is a very difficult one, since many Yezidis have defended their homeland in various frameworks because of existential need on the ground. No matter what decision, the Yezidis who have fought to defend Shingal must not be demonised or expelled.

And while Yezidis are grateful for the heroic actions of PKK in the days of 2014, it is important that Shingal is not the location for continued fighting among greater regional actors.

We also believe the agreement should have mentioned that all elements in Iraq must reject Turkish airstrikes in Shingal, which have also added to destabilising the area. At the same time, Shingal should not be a base for any foreign actors at all.

Generally, focus on local actors to maintain security in Shingal is a positive development in the agreement, and the need to remove the many militias from the area will benefit not only Yezidis but all residents in Nineveh province, so long as security can be maintained.

Reconstruction will require cooperation of all parties, and most importantly, action to prevent corruption so that funds to rebuild are not wasted. It will be important that an impartial + non-governmental actor helps to monitor this, perhaps a @UN @UNIraq or a EU contingent.

Generally, efforts to return normalcy and reduce tensions in Shingal are positive. FYF supports all genuine concern for the well-being of these residents and the rights of Yezidis to return to their areas of origin.

It should also be noted that the trauma suffered by Yezidis will not be resolved by only reconstruction and services, so continued support to this endangered community is necessary.

Further, underlying causes that led to this genocide, including systemic discrimination, hatred against Yezidis, and fewer rights + opportunities for our people remain in place. Tackling these issues will require more work, beyond reconstruction / security measures in Shingal.

Nonetheless, genuine efforts to rebuild can constitute an important, positive step forward. So long as #Yezidi #Yazidi are not excluded from the process or from the land, it can be basis for further discussion and negotiations. END