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Kirkuk
- On November 25, heavy rain caused floods on several main roads in Kirkuk, including the central tunnel in front of the governorate building, where water levels rose eight meters high. Activists on social media described the floodings as “a symbol of corruption in the projects” of Kirkuk’s administration. The tunnel project was completed two months ago, costing $80 million. Kirkuk’s acting governor Rakan al Jabouri described it as “the most prominent project.” Meanwhile, four other tunnels were flooded, and the authorities issued a travel warning in the Daquq district. Two children drowned in flash floods in the Hasar village north of Kirkuk.
- On November 26, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al Sudani removed Brigadier General Ali al Freji, the commander of Kirkuk operations, and replaced him with Brigadier General Jabbar Naima al Tai. It was unclear the motive of the decision, but unconfirmed reports suggested that the removal of al Freji was in response to the slaughter of four Iraqi soldiers near Qarahanjir by ISIS (Da’esh) terrorists. Separately, al Sudani reactivated the High Committee to implement Article 140 of the Constitution and appointed new staff. After the decisions, the committee will submit its budget for the year. The issue of Article 140 of the constitution was neglected in three cabinets led by former prime ministers Haider al-Abadi, Adil Abdul Mahdi, and Mustafa al Kadhimi. The reactivation of the committee was one of the conditions for the Kurdish parties to participate in the new government formation.
- On November 29, the Daquq court in Kirkuk province decided “no case” on 21 complaints filed by Arab settlers for agricultural land in the area, thus settling 1,113 dunams of land in favor of the native Kurdish owners. Shikar Mardan, the lawyer of Kurdish farmers, told Rudaw that 3500 dunams (864 acres) of agricultural land are disputed in Daquq, and the new ruling settles 1,113 dunams (275 acres).
- On November 29, fourteen Kurdish parties in Kirkuk sent a letter to Iraqi president Latif Rashid on the situation in Kirkuk, complaining about the raids of the security forces in Kurdish neighborhoods, resulting in the migration of the Kurds. In their letter, the parties rejected the administrative changes in the provincial and the way primary services are delivered, calling them “discrimination” policies that “marginalizes” the Kurdish neighborhoods. Moreover, the parties raised “illegal measures” by the checkpoints outside the city, including collecting “fees and taxes from farmers, traders, and traders.” Lastly, the parties demanded the president review the issues “to achieve balance and justice.”
- According to the latest statistics released by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), Kirkuk exported 2,363,020 barrels via the Cihan pipeline in November, grossing $196,319,701. The average price of oil was $83.08 per barrel. Meanwhile, exports to Jordon reached 300,230 barrels, earning $22,718,404 at an average price of $75.67 per barrel. However, the oil exports to Jordan fell by 42,000 barrels in November compared to October.
Khanaqin
- On November 28, Arab settlers demonstrated in front of the Khanaqin mayor’s office, demanding the renewal of agricultural contracts signed with them on Kurdish lands by the former Ba’ath regime. After 2003, all contracts given by the former regime to settlers were annulled. Since October 16, 2017, the settlers have been working to renew their contracts and have repeatedly used the Iraqi army to occupy Kurdish farmers’ lands.
- On November 26, a senior military committee from Baghdad visited Khanaqin, assigned by the prime minister’s office to coordinate the presence of the Peshmerga and the Asayesh forces in the district. The move comes after the Diyala operations commander called for the withdrawal of the Peshmerga and Asayesh from the district in October. The committee aims to “coordinate” the presence of the Kurdish forces with the Iraqis.
Tuz Khurmatu
- On November 26, the director of Khurmatu General Hospital, a Kurdish doctor, was removed from his post and replaced by a Turkman. Last year the “balance committee,” responsible for a fair distribution of government posts, granted the position to the Kurds. However, after a year, the Kurdish director was removed.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- The Iraqi Martyrs’ Foundation has issued a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council requesting to halt the recent decision to dissolve all committees responsible for compensating victims of military and terrorist organizations. The Martyrs’ Foundation demanded exclusion for Sinjar from the decision since many of the victims of the genocide are yet to receive compensation.
- On November 30, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced the killing of a female military leader of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) named Fatim Onur, whom the Turkish intelligence agency (MIT) called in charge of “intelligence” in the PKK.