Yezidi Cause Alliance Calls for Locally Led Administration in Sinjar After YBŞ Integration

The Yezidi Cause Alliance has urged Iraq’s federal government to establish a locally led civilian administration in Sinjar, following the start of the integration of YBŞ fighters into Iraqi state security institutions.

In a statement issued on 30 October, the Alliance welcomed the security arrangements between Baghdad and local actors, but said that military integration alone cannot resolve Sinjar’s long-standing crisis.

It called for a local administration that genuinely represents the district’s residents and is free from political quota-sharing and outside interference.

The request is not an announcement that such an administration has already been created. While Iraqi authorities have announced security and reconstruction measures, no final local administration, district administrator or timetable has yet been publicly confirmed.

On 26 October, Iraqi federal authorities began a phased process to transfer security responsibility on Mount Sinjar and integrate eligible YBŞ members into official Iraqi security institutions. The process is expected to involve different state bodies, including security and police structures.

The Alliance said the next steps must include compensation for survivors and families affected by the Ezidi Genocide of 2014, return grants for displaced Ezidis, reconstruction of destroyed homes, basic public services and a serious plan to enable families to return safely to Sinjar.

Murad Ismael, the parliamentary leader of the Yezidi Cause Alliance, said that twelve years after the genocide, Ezidis should no longer be excluded from decisions about their homeland, security and future.

The question of civilian administration remains one of Sinjar’s most unresolved issues. Security arrangements may help reduce the number of armed actors operating in the district, but long-term stability will also depend on reconstruction, accountability, safe return and an administration trusted by local residents.

No political bloc or organisation can speak for every Ezidi. Any lasting solution must therefore be based on meaningful local participation, respect for the Ezidi people’s will and protection of their right to determine their own future.