KRG marks 9th anniversary of Yazidi genocide

ERBIL, August 3 – The Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Thursday that militias and armed groups in Sinjar are preventing efforts to implement a normalization agreement to facilitate reconstruction and the return of displaced people.

Speaking at an event to commemorate the ninth anniversary of ISIS-led attacks against the Yazidi-majority district, Barzani delivered an address, a copy of which was received by 964:

Nine years ago, Sinjar and its surroundings suffered a brutal attack perpetrated by ISIS terrorists, resulting in the massacre, loss, and displacement of thousands of the region’s residents.

On this painful anniversary, we pay tribute and respect to all the victims of this genocide. We also highly appreciate the resilience and sacrifices of the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan, under the leadership of His Excellency President Masoud Barzani, who shattered the myth of ISIS terrorists, liberated Sinjar, and achieved a historic victory.

While we praise all the countries that officially recognized the crimes committed by ISIS terrorists against the Yazidi Kurds and classified them as genocide, we look to the international community to support us in alleviating the suffering of our Yazidi brothers and sisters.

It is regrettable that, after nine years of the tragedy, the situation in Sinjar has not yet normalized. Our Yazidi brothers and sisters are unable to return to their homes, and the reconstruction process is hindered due to the control exerted by illegal militias and armed groups over the region.

On this occasion, we renew our support for the just demands of our Yazidi brothers and sisters, emphasizing the necessity of ending the abnormal situation in the city. We call for the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement, which includes the withdrawal of illegal forces to enable the reconstruction of the area with the assistance of the federal government and the international community. The power must be restored to its original inhabitants.

We bow in respect and reverence to the martyrs of the genocide in Sinjar and all the martyrs of Kurdistan.