Tensions flare as Arab settlers ‘attempt to seize’ Kurdish farmers’ land in Salah Al-Din

SALAH AL-DIN — Tensions flared this morning in the village of Tapa Sawz, near Tuz Khurmatu in Salah al-Din Governorate, as a group of Arab settlers attempted to seize land owned by Kurdish farmers, resulting in clashes between locals and the settlers.

According to a village resident who spoke to 964media, the Arab settlers arrived with the intent of taking over farmland belonging to Kurdish villagers. “If it weren’t for the intervention of our elders and mediators, the situation could have escalated into a larger conflict,” the resident said.

Eyewitnesses reported that around 30 Arab settlers arrived early in the day, prompting immediate resistance from Kurdish residents. The confrontation quickly became physical, with fights breaking out between the two groups.

Shamal Kakakhan, a resident of Tapa Sawz, explained, “This land is ours, and we have legal ownership under Article 140. However, around 30 Arab settlers came and tried to take control of our lands, which led to the clashes. Elders and respected community members stepped in to mediate.”

“Now, the Arab settlers have gone to the police station to file a complaint against us,” Kakakhan added, emphasizing that similar tensions have occurred in the past. “There have been several incidents, and if this issue isn’t resolved, it’s hard to predict how large the conflict might grow between the villagers and the Arab settlers.”

Kakakhan also stressed that the 300 families living in the village are prepared to defend their land at any cost. “We are ready to risk our lives for our land, but we will not surrender our property.”

The situation in Tapa Sawz is not unique. Several villages in the disputed areas between Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region face similar land conflicts. These disputes date back to the Baathist era when, in 1975, the Iraqi government seized land from Kurdish farmers, claiming it was located in restricted oil zones. In 1977, the land was handed over to Arab settlers brought from other regions of Iraq under Decree No. 949 from the Baath Supreme Revolutionary Court.

This policy of Arabization aimed to change the demographic makeup of Kurdish-majority areas and has been a source of ongoing tension between Baghdad and the Kurds. Following the fall of the Baath regime in 2003, Iraq attempted to reverse these demographic changes through Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which aimed to restore lands to their original Kurdish owners. However, the article has yet to be fully implemented, and land disputes continue to fuel tensions in the region.

Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi Parliament have been working to resolve the land disputes in favor of Kurdish farmers through the “Draft Law for Returning Properties to Their Owners Affected by Certain Decisions of the Dissolved Revolutionary Command Council.” However, the legislation has faced repeated delays due to opposition from Sunni and some Shia parties. The draft law aims to reverse decisions made by Saddam Hussein’s regime between 1975 and 1979, which confiscated approximately 32,000 acres of agricultural land in areas like Kirkuk and redistributed them to Arab settlers.

Despite ongoing resistance, Kurdish lawmakers continue to push for the passage of the bill, hoping to restore ownership of the seized lands to their rightful Kurdish owners and address the lingering effects of Baath-era land confiscations.