Yazidi genocide

Tenth anniversary of ISIS takeover of Sinjar marked

2024-08-03 | 23:29

SINJAR – Today marks a decade since Islamic State militants overran Sinjar, a district predominantly inhabited by Yazidis, on August 3, 2014. The assault led to the displacement of over 325,000 Yazidis, and many women and children endured horrific abuses such as sexual slavery, forced labor, and repeated rapes. Currently, more than 2,500 individuals remain unaccounted for, and over 5,000 Yazidis were slaughtered in 2014 alone.

Jihad Rafo, a resident of Kocho village in Sinjar, recounted the harrowing experiences faced by the Yazidi community under ISIS control to 964media. Initially before starting their brutal acts, Rafo and others thought they are a group had come to establish their headquarters. However, “The group began to spread to neighboring areas, capturing Yazidis, including women, girls, and children, and subjecting them to torture,” he stated.

In Kocho village, near Sinjar, approximately 1,300 people lived before the Yazidis were targeted. After the abductions and killings, hundreds were either killed or remain missing.

Rafo highlighted the unique suffering of the Yazidis: “They inflicted harm on Muslims too, but it was different for us Yazidis. We were tortured, and our women, girls, and children were taken away.

“This catastrophe, which began in 2014, is unlike any other. Many Yazidis were killed, and most are still missing. Numerous mass graves exist, and it remains unclear who perished and who is still alive.”

The campaign by ISIS aimed to annihilate the Yazidi community through massacres, enslavement, and forced conversions to Islam.

On the morning of August 3, clashes erupted along the borders of Sinjar between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and ISIS militants. The district swiftly fell under ISIS control, prompting the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yazidis. Those who could not flee were taken captive; many others sought refuge in the Sinjar mountains and Duhok city.

Rafo said, “In my family, myself, and a few others narrowly escaped. My two nieces, younger brother, brother’s wife, mother, and sister remain missing, with no information about their whereabouts since being taken by ISIS,” highlighting the unknown fate of many Yazidis.

Sinjar, administratively a part of the Nineveh governorate and located 120 kilometers from Mosul, ranks as Iraq’s second-largest district, spanning 3,188 square kilometers. The Yazidis follow an ancient non-Islamic Mesopotamian religion. Historically, the community has faced numerous instances of persecution.

Regarding the possibility of returning to Sinjar, Jihad Rafo expressed concern, stating, “It is very difficult for us to return to Sinjar because there are no services, electricity, or water, and no one to help us. Many cannot return for these reasons. If a new village is established for us, we might consider returning.”

Despite Yazidis beginning to return to their ancestral lands post-ISIS, the recovery process is impeded by the unstable situation in Sinjar, exacerbated by local and regional disputes over the territory. These disputes fuel concerns among residents about potential conflicts, obstructing the full return of the Yazidi population and the complete reconstruction of their devastated communities.

Jwan Shingali, a survivor of the Yazidi genocide in Sinjar, shared her story with 964media, highlighting the lack of support received over the past decade. She said, “For ten years, we have received no assistance. Twenty-six members of my family are missing, taken by ISIS. Many of my relatives were killed in mass graves. We demand that the bodies be exhumed and proper graves be established.”

Addressing the issue of aid, Shingali said they did not receive sufficient assistance from the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraqi government and organizations.

“In particular, they did not help us to find the graves of our relatives.”

Shingali further emphasized the targeted suffering of Yazidis, “The violence, torture, and abductions were inflicted solely on Yazidis in Sinjar. The catastrophe that began in August 2014 is unforgettable, and the psychological trauma continues to haunt us.”

According to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, ISIS obliterated up to 80 percent of the public infrastructure and 70 percent of civilian homes in Sinjar and its environs.

Regarding the possibility of returning to Sinjar, she stated, “We cannot return because there are no services or organizations to support us there. Until Sinjar is rebuilt, we cannot go back.”

As ISIS pressed towards Erbil, they advanced into regions like Makhmour, Gwer, and Khazr. The United States intervened with airstrikes, significantly halting the militants’ progression.

This day spurred a humanitarian crisis reminiscent of the Kurdish exodus in 1991, when millions fled to the mountains to escape Saddam Hussein’s regime. The plight of the fleeing Yazidis garnered global attention and bolstered support for the Peshmerga forces.

According to the Yazidi Rescue Office under the Kurdistan Region Presidency, over 325,000 Yazidis were displaced due to the ISIS onslaught. Specifically, “135,860 Yazidis were displaced to the Kurdistan region, while 189,337 sought refuge in other disputed areas,” referencing the areas contended between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government under Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution.

The rescue office further notes that “6,417 Yazidis were abducted by ISIS, with 3,458 having been rescued to date.”

The United Nations, through investigations by UNITAD , found clear and convincing evidence that ISIS’s actions constituted genocide against the Yazidis. This includes mass executions, sexual slavery, and other forms of inhumane treatment aimed at destroying the Yazidi identity.

On August 3, 2019, the Kurdistan Region parliament recognized August 3 as the Day of the Yazidi Genocide, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the atrocities committed by ISIS.

The Islamic State, which proclaimed a caliphate in 2014 after seizing vast territories in Iraq and Syria, was officially expelled from Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga, supported by a U.S.-led coalition. Despite the defeat of its last Syrian stronghold in 2019 to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, residual members of the group continue to pose a threat to the region.