The Beth Nahrin National Union Party has announced its support for the Ezidi Cause Alliance’s rejection of any attempt to impose a new administration on Shingal (Sinjar) without the participation of the district’s indigenous population and elected representatives.
In a statement issued by its Political Bureau, the party said that the governor of Nineveh, Abdul Qadir al-Dakhil, or any other political party, should not determine the future administration of Shingal without respecting the will of the Ezidi people. It stressed that decisions concerning the district must involve legitimate local representatives and take account of the interests of all its indigenous populations.
The party said that any administrative arrangement for Shingal must be built around the will of the people who belong to the district. It also called for the participation of other indigenous populations, including Syriac Chaldeans, in decisions affecting the region’s political and administrative future.
According to the statement, Shingal must not be treated as an arena for political quotas or the division of influence between competing parties. The district continues to face the consequences of the 2014 genocide, and its administration must therefore be based on justice, stability and the protection of the rights of its residents, particularly the Ezidi population that suffered the main impact of the attack.
The Beth Nahrin National Union Party warned that excluding local populations from decisions concerning Shingal would disregard both the will of the Ezidi people and the democratic mechanisms established under the Iraqi political system. It rejected any administrative steps taken without the involvement of legitimate local representatives.
Ezidi Cause Alliance Rejects Exclusion
The Ezidi Cause Alliance issued its own statement on 26 July, categorically rejecting any attempt to impose a new administration on Shingal without the participation of Ezidi representatives.
The alliance said it constitutes the largest Ezidi parliamentary bloc in the Iraqi Council of Representatives and holds an electoral mandate from approximately 50,000 Ezidi voters. It argued that excluding the alliance from decisions concerning Shingal would amount to disregarding the will of those voters and undermining Iraq’s democratic process.
The alliance said it would use all available political, legal and peaceful protest mechanisms to defend the rights of Shingal’s population and oppose decisions adopted without local participation or against the interests of the district.
The statements come amid growing political activity concerning Shingal’s future administration. On 24 July, the Shingal Coordination of National Components and Forces held a conference attended by a delegation from the Beth Nahrin National Union Party. The delegation was headed by the party’s deputy leader, Ronak Elias, and included members of its political and executive bureaux.
Participants discussed conditions in Shingal and the political, administrative and security challenges facing the district. They presented a proposal for an independent local administration operating under the authority of the Iraqi federal government, with the stated aim of strengthening stability, rebuilding public institutions and creating conditions for displaced residents to return.
The conference also called for stronger cooperation between Shingal’s indigenous populations and broader dialogue on administrative and political arrangements capable of supporting sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.
Shingal Still Awaiting Recovery
Shingal continues to suffer from the consequences of the attack launched by ISIS on 3 August 2014. The assault against the Ezidi people has been recognised as genocide by the United Nations and several national parliaments.
Thousands of Ezidis were killed, more than 6,400 women and children were abducted, and more than 93 mass graves have reportedly been identified. More than 2,500 abducted Ezidis remain missing.
Nearly 12 years later, reconstruction remains limited and many displaced Ezidis have still been unable to return. Political disputes, competing security structures, weak public services and disagreements over the district’s administration continue to obstruct recovery.
The latest statements reflect increasing opposition to decisions being made about Shingal without the participation of its population. Both the Beth Nahrin National Union Party and the Ezidi Cause Alliance maintain that any durable administrative settlement must be developed with the direct involvement of the people whose future it will determine.
