Ethnic discrimination in the Iraqi police force

The case of Assyrians in the Nineveh Plain of northern Iraq

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Page 2 of 6 Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - Dec 2010

Background

This report focuses on the eth- nic discrimination in the iraqi police force in the Nineveh plain (NP), an area heavily populated by Iraqs vulnerable minorities such as the Assyrians, Yezidies and Shabaks. As the report shows the discrimination against the minorities is evident in the ethnic make up of the local police force. All numbers in the report have been collected through contacts with indepen- dent minority groups in Iraq.

Being the last area in Iraq where Iraqi minorities have a The Nineveh Plain, in yellow, lies east of the city of Mosul and out- strong demographic presence, side the formal boundary of the Kurdish administered area, in brown. the Nineveh Plain plays an important role in many ways. A in preserving Iraq as a multi Security plays a crucial role strong presence of the Assyr- religious society, having a mod- for the future presence of the ians, Yezidies, Shabaks, Turkmen erating effect on Iraq with their minorities in Iraq. As the conti- and Kakais is essential to keep- presence and participation in nous attacks against Assyrians ing Iraq a multi ethnic state. society. Unfortunately Iraq mi- show, the minorities are in ur- Especially non Muslim minori- nority numbers are decreasing gent need of formal protection ties such as the Assyrians and rapidly as they flee the country they can trust. This is what they Yezidies play an important role due to them not feeling secure. urgently lack in todays Iraq.

Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - December 2010 Reproduction and dissemination of this report is allowed. Cover photo: Assyrian guard in the Nineveh Plain. The Assyria Council of Europe (ACE) is a non profit advocating rights of minorities in Iraq since 2007. Homepage assyriacouncil.eu Email: [email protected] Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - Dec 2010 Page 3 of 6

The discrimination in numbers

The figures in the columns on the right District of Al Hamdaniya District of Telkaif show the current ethnic make up of police officers in two districts within the Nineveh Assyrian 135 Plain: the southern Al Hamdaniya district and the north-western TelKeif district. Kakiya 123 Assyrians 39 Shabak 91 Yazidi 18 Assyrians form the majority of inhabitants Yazidi 54 Turkman 7 in the district of Al Hamdaniya but constitute only 32 percent of the total Turkman 1 Shabak 2 number of police officers. In the north- Arab and Total Kurd 22426 Arab and Total Kurd 261327 western TelKeif dictrict the numbers are even more alarming. Assyrians make up Above: ethnic composition of the police forces in the only 12 percent of the police officers in the Al Hamdaniya and Telkaif districts in the Nineveh Plain dictrict despite constituting at least half of Below: The geogaphic position of the two mentioned the population. districts in the Nineveh Plain.

The discrimination in the senior levels Alqosh Bandwaya Beban Sharafia Badriya Shekha AinBaqre of the police force in the two districts is Karanjo Ain Sifne Dashqotana Perozawa

Garmawa even more severe. There are not one single Telkaif senior police officer in Al Hamdaniya and Telisqof Ba’qufa

Dayr Mar Batnaya Telkaif districts with Assyrian background. Awraham

Telkaif The discrimination against the Assyrians in the local police force of these two dis- Mosul tricts is evident. Despite constituting more than 50 percent of the population the As- syrians are marginalized. This has effects Al HamdaniyaBakhdeda on the entire Assyrian population as they feel partly excluded from the authority which is supposed to give them protection, law and order. It also puts the community in distrust towards the police. Page 4 of 6 Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - Dec 2010

Obstruction of a minority constituted police force for the Nineveh Plain

In the last months of 2005, the United States Army Joint Operation Center, in conjunction with Iraq’s Ministry of the The Iraqi Interior decided at the governments cabinet level to create a authorization of battalion-strength (1000 a local police persons) formal police force for the force in the Nineveh Plain Nineve Plain made up by members of from 2005. the minority communities in the Nineveh Plain. elected representatives of the force produced all the neces- Reports from minority rep- minorities in the Nineveh Plain sary administrative measures resentatives in the NP within increased pressure on get- to formalize it. This is made a few weeks informed the ting formal policing forces in clear in the original text of the blockage of this decision in the Nineveh Plain. The United Iraqi Government authoriza- the Ninawa Governorate’s States Army and Iraqi Govern- tion above. This second effort Provincial Council. The Gover- ment approved 711 names, managed to secure full autho- nor, urged on by the Deputy sending the recruits for train- rization from the Iraqi Govern- Governor, Mr. Khisro Goran of ing. It appears US military ment, in pursuit of establish- the Kurdish Democratic Party were unaware that the trainers ing a local and representative (KDP), prevented implementa- belonged to the same politi- police force in the Nineveh tion of this order. Obstacles cal grouping that successfully plain. Kurdish intervention, were placed in the path of blocked the first effort. The however, managed to under- implementing this policy over recruits were threatened and mine this effort as well. a period of 7 months. harassed out of the training The Kurdish administration in program by the trainers. northern Iraq has thus played a With the initial US-sponsored very negative role in this issue effort undermined by the KDP- This second effort to secure for political reasons, as the Deputy Governor in Mosul, the the formation of a police following text shows. Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - Dec 2010 Page 5 of 6

The negative role played by the KRG

feeling of unsecurity of the mi- Kurdish leaders like Massoud mally outside the boundary of norities and leaving them ex- Barazani and Jalal Talabani the KRG but has been identi- cluded from taking their own are often cited in the me- fied as one of the contested ar- decisions. When faced with dia saying they support the eas between the central power critique for their actions in the minorities. Their actions are and the KRG. Nineveh Plain Kurdish lead- however anything but sup- ers often point to the fact that portive of the minorities. It is therefore in the interest most minorities fleeing from In the Nineveh Plain armed of Kurdish leaders to keep the Baghdad and elsewhere seek Kurds from the KRG are placed existing police force in the their way to the Kurdish domi- everywhere and have set up Nineveh Plain weak and non nated north of Iraq, alleging illegal check points. The Kurd- representative of the ethnic the KRG is treating them well. ish administration has also composition of the area. At the What is important to under- employed private citizens same time the Kurdish lead- stand is that the KRG is under- from minority communities ers try to give the impression mining the rights of minorities as armed guards who remain to the outside world that they as groups but at the same time illigitimate. are protecting the minorities welcoming their families. This At the same time the Kurdish in the NP by deploying their distinction is crucial in order to leadership has done every- own forces into the area as understand the sophisticated thing in its power to stop the well as setting up groups of policy of the KRG. formation of a legitimate local armed guards from minority police force for the minorities communities who are however What is important for the mi- in the Nineveh Plain. ultimately dependent on and norities is to have their rights loyal to their employer - the as ethnic groups respected. The actions of the Kurdish KRG. The Kurdish leadership must leadership must be under- end its policy of marginaliza- stood from its outspoken The acts of the KRG do not tion towards the Iraqi minori- political objectives. The KRGs respect the will of the minori- ties in the Nineveh Plain by current constitution openly ties and it deprives them of a respecting the will of the states that the Nineveh Plain formal, legitimate and strong minorities to have a legitimate must be incorporated into the police force. The acts of the Iocal police force they can KRG. The Nineveh Plain is for- KRG are in fact adding to the identify with. Page 6 of 6 Assyria Council of Europe Focus Report - Dec 2010

Recomendations

To the European Union

The European parliament should include language on the discrimination faced by Iraqi communi- ties in the Iraqi police force in its official statements concerning Iraq.

The European parliaments delegation for relations with Iraq should raise the issue with its Iraqi counterparts

To the Iraqi minister of interior and the authorities in the Ninawa governerate

Implement the previous government order to increase the number of Assyrians in the local police force in the Nineveh Plain so it reflects the Assyrian population size.

Recruit a number of the current Assyrian police officers to become senior police officers in the Nineveh Plain.

Implement the same measures for the other minority groups in the Nineveh Plain

To the KRG

Stop funding the illegitimate guards in the Nineveh Plain

Withdraw all Peshmerga forces from the Nineveh plain

Stop obstructing the formation of a legitimate and locally derived formal police force for the Nineveh Plain.