There is no sustainable future for Yazidis and minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan as the genocide continues

2021/08/04980-1627974719.jpg
Read: 3206     15:30     03 Август 2021    

"There is no sustainable future for Yazidis and minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan, as the genocide has been going on for seven years."

The future of the Yazidis remains under serious threat. Sinjar, known to the Yazidis as the core of their ancestral homeland, remains in turmoil against the additional background of complex geopolitics, hindering the possibility of a comprehensive recovery of society after the genocide. Despite seven years of promises from the international community and officials, 25% of Yazidis have returned to Sinjar, and most of them are still living in refugee and displaced persons camps. Based on this, the Yazda organization, in partnership with The Zovighian Partnership, will hold an international online conference on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Yazidi genocide entitled "Towards a sustainable future for Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan, the conference will be held on August 2 and 3, 2021". At this online meeting, reports will be listened to, plenary sessions and group discussions will be held on the main problems faced by the Yazidis and other Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities today.

Obstacles to justice and responsibility

In August 2014, Sinjar became the target of the systematic extermination of Yazidis by ISIS terrorists, which led to the murder, enslavement and mass displacement of an entire community. On the first day of the genocide on August 3, 2014, 1,298 Yazidis were killed in Sinjar. It is estimated that more than 5,000 people died in the first days. 355,000 Yazidis have been displaced by ISIS-led attacks and atrocities, and 68 religious and cultural sites have been destroyed. Seven years after this genocide, about 2,950 Yazidis are still missing, in captivity of ISIS.

Seven years later, little has changed

On May 10, 2021, Karim Khan, Special Adviser and head of the UN team investigating crimes committed by ISIL, presented clear and convincing evidence to the United Nations that crimes against the Yazidi people "clearly constitute genocide". Despite this clear message, international justice has not been achieved. Of the more than 500 Yazidi survivors who have testified against the perpetrators, only four convictions have been handed down to date. On July 26, 2021, the German courts issued the fourth ruling for crimes against humanity committed by foreign ISIS fighters who enslaved two Yazidis.
There are no real plans for reconstruction and strengthening of public dignity.
The situation in Dahuk, Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain remains fragile, insecure and prone to disruption due to the presence of the Islamic State (ISIL) in Iraq and the Levant and other armed militia groups on the ground. The new geopolitical dynamics with regular strikes by the Turkish Air Force prevented villages and cities from restoring a stable social life. Without physical efforts to reduce security threats on the ground, more than 75% of displaced Yazidis are still unable to leave the camps for internally displaced persons. Despite the presence of many security services, ISIS is still trying to infiltrate and cause harm.
Some Yazidis have returned to their homeland, the administration of this area has not been restored since 2017. Important administrative and security issues remain unresolved, despite the signing of the Sinjar Agreement on October 9, 2019 by the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, but the agreement has not yet been implemented. The lack of a national strategy, guaranteed by both the Government of Iraq and the Government of the KRG, to attract public spending and investment to areas devastated by the occupation of ISIL, prevents minority communities from realizing their rights to return to their homes in habitable and economically viable areas. To this day, mass graves still exist in many villages and towns of Sinjar, making it impossible to return safely.
In his speech, the head of Yazda and the organizer of the conference, Haider Elias, said: "It is never too late to prove to the Yazidis and all minorities that targeted political measures are being taken to restore life in our homeland."

Urgent actions that cannot be postponed

By the seventh anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, during the time of remembrance and mass diplomacy, it is extremely important that the central government of Iraq, the Kurdistan regional Government and all international actors:

1. Took the necessary urgent measures to ensure accountability for crimes committed against Yazidis and other minorities, including calling for the establishment of a national court, in consultation with victims and survivors, with full international cooperation and assistance.

2. Protect, maintain and re-exhume mass graves in Sinjar, allowing victims ' families to properly bury their loved ones and achieve a certain peace, while ensuring comprehensive protection and documentation of all evidence of the genocide and initiating the first steps towards the rehabilitation of villages and cities.

3. The creation of a national security group with the participation of the International Coalition against ISIL to clarify the fate of approximately 2,950 Yazidi women and children who are still missing and who are believed to be still being held by ISIL.

4. The implementation of the Law on Yazidi Survivors and the provision of compensation to all surviving victims of ISIL.

5. Immediate and immediate solution of the problem of duplication of local administration in Sinjar in coordination with the Yazidi community, including the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.

6. Restoring and maintaining security in Sinjar by increasing the number of competent local security forces and eliminating the presence of many non-State armed groups still operating in the area.

7. Accelerate efforts to rebuild Sinjar with the full inclusion of representatives of all minorities, especially survivors of ISIL captivity, in all decision-making and governance processes that will determine a sustainable, secure and prosperous future for all communities in the region.

8. Ensure the urgent provision of basic and public services to Sinjar, including electricity, water, telecommunications, roads, security, health, education and economic empowerment.

9. Develop reconciliation programs in consultation with all minority communities to ensure peaceful, effective and meaningful coexistence in Sinjar of all communities and groups in the region.
Official commemorative events will also be held on the necessary platform and will be broadcast live on all Bizda social media channels, on August 2 and 3, 2021 from 16: 00 to 19: 30 Iraqi time with the participation of heads of national governments, ambassadors and ministers from many countries, activists of donor governments and friends of the Yazidis.
"We strive to ensure that our Yazidi friends are not abandoned, and we guarantee that their rights, demands and future are protected," emphasizes Lynn Zuvikyan, co-founder and managing director of ZP.

Contact person: Saad Babir Murad

Phone number: 4024841852

Email address: [email protected]





Tags: #yazidisinfo   #newsyazidi   #aboutyazidi   #genocideyazidi   #humanrights   #nadiamurad   #yazda  



There is no sustainable future for Yazidis and minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan as the genocide continues

2021/08/04980-1627974719.jpg
Read: 3207     15:30     03 Август 2021    

"There is no sustainable future for Yazidis and minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan, as the genocide has been going on for seven years."

The future of the Yazidis remains under serious threat. Sinjar, known to the Yazidis as the core of their ancestral homeland, remains in turmoil against the additional background of complex geopolitics, hindering the possibility of a comprehensive recovery of society after the genocide. Despite seven years of promises from the international community and officials, 25% of Yazidis have returned to Sinjar, and most of them are still living in refugee and displaced persons camps. Based on this, the Yazda organization, in partnership with The Zovighian Partnership, will hold an international online conference on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Yazidi genocide entitled "Towards a sustainable future for Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan, the conference will be held on August 2 and 3, 2021". At this online meeting, reports will be listened to, plenary sessions and group discussions will be held on the main problems faced by the Yazidis and other Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities today.

Obstacles to justice and responsibility

In August 2014, Sinjar became the target of the systematic extermination of Yazidis by ISIS terrorists, which led to the murder, enslavement and mass displacement of an entire community. On the first day of the genocide on August 3, 2014, 1,298 Yazidis were killed in Sinjar. It is estimated that more than 5,000 people died in the first days. 355,000 Yazidis have been displaced by ISIS-led attacks and atrocities, and 68 religious and cultural sites have been destroyed. Seven years after this genocide, about 2,950 Yazidis are still missing, in captivity of ISIS.

Seven years later, little has changed

On May 10, 2021, Karim Khan, Special Adviser and head of the UN team investigating crimes committed by ISIL, presented clear and convincing evidence to the United Nations that crimes against the Yazidi people "clearly constitute genocide". Despite this clear message, international justice has not been achieved. Of the more than 500 Yazidi survivors who have testified against the perpetrators, only four convictions have been handed down to date. On July 26, 2021, the German courts issued the fourth ruling for crimes against humanity committed by foreign ISIS fighters who enslaved two Yazidis.
There are no real plans for reconstruction and strengthening of public dignity.
The situation in Dahuk, Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain remains fragile, insecure and prone to disruption due to the presence of the Islamic State (ISIL) in Iraq and the Levant and other armed militia groups on the ground. The new geopolitical dynamics with regular strikes by the Turkish Air Force prevented villages and cities from restoring a stable social life. Without physical efforts to reduce security threats on the ground, more than 75% of displaced Yazidis are still unable to leave the camps for internally displaced persons. Despite the presence of many security services, ISIS is still trying to infiltrate and cause harm.
Some Yazidis have returned to their homeland, the administration of this area has not been restored since 2017. Important administrative and security issues remain unresolved, despite the signing of the Sinjar Agreement on October 9, 2019 by the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, but the agreement has not yet been implemented. The lack of a national strategy, guaranteed by both the Government of Iraq and the Government of the KRG, to attract public spending and investment to areas devastated by the occupation of ISIL, prevents minority communities from realizing their rights to return to their homes in habitable and economically viable areas. To this day, mass graves still exist in many villages and towns of Sinjar, making it impossible to return safely.
In his speech, the head of Yazda and the organizer of the conference, Haider Elias, said: "It is never too late to prove to the Yazidis and all minorities that targeted political measures are being taken to restore life in our homeland."

Urgent actions that cannot be postponed

By the seventh anniversary of the Yazidi genocide, during the time of remembrance and mass diplomacy, it is extremely important that the central government of Iraq, the Kurdistan regional Government and all international actors:

1. Took the necessary urgent measures to ensure accountability for crimes committed against Yazidis and other minorities, including calling for the establishment of a national court, in consultation with victims and survivors, with full international cooperation and assistance.

2. Protect, maintain and re-exhume mass graves in Sinjar, allowing victims ' families to properly bury their loved ones and achieve a certain peace, while ensuring comprehensive protection and documentation of all evidence of the genocide and initiating the first steps towards the rehabilitation of villages and cities.

3. The creation of a national security group with the participation of the International Coalition against ISIL to clarify the fate of approximately 2,950 Yazidi women and children who are still missing and who are believed to be still being held by ISIL.

4. The implementation of the Law on Yazidi Survivors and the provision of compensation to all surviving victims of ISIL.

5. Immediate and immediate solution of the problem of duplication of local administration in Sinjar in coordination with the Yazidi community, including the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement.

6. Restoring and maintaining security in Sinjar by increasing the number of competent local security forces and eliminating the presence of many non-State armed groups still operating in the area.

7. Accelerate efforts to rebuild Sinjar with the full inclusion of representatives of all minorities, especially survivors of ISIL captivity, in all decision-making and governance processes that will determine a sustainable, secure and prosperous future for all communities in the region.

8. Ensure the urgent provision of basic and public services to Sinjar, including electricity, water, telecommunications, roads, security, health, education and economic empowerment.

9. Develop reconciliation programs in consultation with all minority communities to ensure peaceful, effective and meaningful coexistence in Sinjar of all communities and groups in the region.
Official commemorative events will also be held on the necessary platform and will be broadcast live on all Bizda social media channels, on August 2 and 3, 2021 from 16: 00 to 19: 30 Iraqi time with the participation of heads of national governments, ambassadors and ministers from many countries, activists of donor governments and friends of the Yazidis.
"We strive to ensure that our Yazidi friends are not abandoned, and we guarantee that their rights, demands and future are protected," emphasizes Lynn Zuvikyan, co-founder and managing director of ZP.

Contact person: Saad Babir Murad

Phone number: 4024841852

Email address: [email protected]





Tags: #yazidisinfo   #newsyazidi   #aboutyazidi   #genocideyazidi   #humanrights   #nadiamurad   #yazda