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A weekly brief of events and news occurred in the disputed territories.
Kirkuk
- On August 15, the Iraqi army besieged the Kurdish neighborhood of Penja Ali, conducting house searches and enforcing a strict lockdown in the area. The Kurdish population has been under the scrutiny of the Iraqi army since October 16, 2017, when Iraqi forces, alongside Iranian-backed militias, launched an attack on the “disputed territories,” resulting in the removal of elected Kurdish officials, and replacing them with non-Kurds.
- The Integrity Commission has unveiled a corruption case involving employees of the food distribution department who were illicitly selling rice. This rice forms part of the monthly food ration provided to citizens and was being funneled into the black markets. The commission’s statement highlighted that despite clear indications on the rice bags that the product was solely intended for use by Iraq’s Ministry of Trade, certain merchants managed to obtain it illegally, leading to their arrest. Simultaneously, the commission announced the apprehension of nine individuals engaged in the improper utilization of municipal properties and unauthorized collection of parking fees.
- On August 13, Kurdish lawmaker Dilan Ghafour met with Hadi al Ameri, a politician backed by Iran and the head of Article 140 committee— a provision aimed at compensating Kurdish families adversely affected by demographic changes during the former regime. The meeting occurred in response to reports indicating Baghdad’s unjust distribution of the committee’s budget. During the meeting, al Ameri informed Ghafour that 439,000 applications had been submitted nationwide, and the allocated budget fell short of adequately addressing all these cases. Despite a legal obligation for the Iraqi central government to implement the constitutional article since 2005, it has evaded doing so due to its anti-Kurdish policies.
- On August 13, officials from the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) convened with lawmakers from Kirkuk in Baghdad to deliberate on the registration of voters and the logistical and technical aspects related to the upcoming provincial elections scheduled for December 18, 2023. These elections mark a significant occasion for Kirkuk, as it will be the first time the city engages in such a process since 2005. This event unfolds against a backdrop of heightened tensions among its various components and external interventions.
- Following a 74-day stretch of a general strike and the establishment of protest tents, the organizers of the Kurdish and Turkmen demonstrations announced the cessation of their activities on August 14. These protests were initiated to contest the defense minister’s decision to construct a residential complex on their lands. The organizers extended a final opportunity to the Iraqi government to reverse the earlier decision, cautioning that they would resume their demonstrations and public strikes if their demand was not met. The farmlands belong to Kurds and Turkmen but had been seized during the era of the former regime as part of Arabization policies. Despite this, subsequent Iraqi governments after 2005 refrained from restoring the land to its rightful owners, instead opting to construct apartment buildings for military officers on the contested properties.
Khanaqin
- On August 15, Khanaqin marked its fourth consecutive day of recording the world’s highest temperature, reaching a scorching 51.5 degrees Celsius. Despite these extreme temperatures, the district continues to grapple with severe shortages of electricity and water.
Shingal (Sinjar)
- Announced on August 12, Iraq’s Minister of Migration and Displacement, Ivan Faiq Jabro, revealed that 293 displaced Yazidis voluntarily returned to the district, constituting the fifth group to do so within a span of two months. As per a statement released by the minister’s office, these Yazidi individuals chose to return from the displaced camps situated in Duhok. Nevertheless, a significant number of Yazidis remain displaced due to the absence of essential services and the presence of armed groups in the region.