TOGETHER WE CAN HELP VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN NEED

Enabling Peace in Iraq Center

ISHM 208: June 6 – June 13, 2019

Key Takeaways: New KRG President Sworn In, New KRG Prime Minister Elected; Abdul-Mahdi Denies Calls For Resignation; Pope Francis To Visit Iraq In 2020 – On June 10, Pope Francis announced his intent to visit Iraq in 2020, which would be the first papal visit to the country. On June 10, Nechirvan Barzani was sworn in as president of the KRG. PUK Leaders attended the ceremony but tensions continue over PUK demands for the Kirkuk governor post. On June 11, the KRG Parliament elected Masrour Barzani to be the region’s new prime minister. On June 11, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi rejected reports about calls for his resignation over his inability to complete his Cabinet. On June 11, a source leaked that Abdul-Mahdi intended to appoint Army Chief of Staff Othman al-Ghanmi as acting Minister of Defense, and Deputy Minister of Interior Mowaffaq al-Janabi as acting Minister of Interior. On

EPIC UPDATES

Reflecting on 2018, Gearing up for 2019

As we prepare to welcome the new year, we thought we would take the time to reflect on the progress Iraq has made over the past year and our work to support Iraq’s recovery. In Ramadi, Mosul, Sinjar, and other areas recovering from war, four million Iraqis have returned to their homes as families begin the hard work of rebuilding their lives. At the same time, another two million Iraqis remain displaced, unable to return to their homes and ancestral lands due to the scale of destruction, the presence of explosive remnants of war, and the fear of armed militias

The Ongoing Crisis in Basra: Interview with Benedict Robin-D’Cruz – Part 2

Protests and political violence continues to plague Basra, Iraq’s southernmost province. The province is largely populated by Iraq’s Shia majority, which has dominated Iraq’s post-2003 political order. Basra’s oil fields are the primary source of Iraq’s oil exports and proven oil reserves and Basra is home to Iraq’s only port. Despite all of these promising conditions, Basra continues to suffer from government neglect, resulting in high levels of unemployment and lack of basic services such as clean water and electricity. To understand more about the ongoing protests in Basra and the region’s relationship with Baghdad, we spoke to Benedict Robin

Violence in Southern Iraq & Shia Politics: Interview with Benedict Robin-D’Cruz – Part 1

Away from the limelight, violence continues to rage in southern Iraq in the form of tribal clashes, pro-government militia infighting and criminal violence. This violence often affects unarmed bystanders and makes life in Basra, which is already challenging due to government neglect, lack of services and rife unemployment, even more precarious. Although most residents of southern Iraq are Shia, Iraq’s current political elite, which claims to represent the Shia community, has failed to address the needs of the south.

Interview with Yazidi Activist Hazim Avdal on Post-Genocide Peace and Justice

In 2014, the Iraqi Yazidi community, a small ethno-religious minority residing mostly in the area of Sinjar, a mountainous region in Ninewa, northwestern Iraq, was subjected to a campaign of massacres, mass kidnappings and enslavement of women, boys and girls at the hands of ISIS. Between 2,000-5,000 Yazidis lost their lives and about 6,000 women and children kidnapped; about 3,000 of them remain missing. The survivors of the genocide fled mostly to areas under the control of the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria. Although Sinjar was liberated from ISIS in 2015 and the surrounding areas

Iraq Matters Podcast

#36: Basra’s Water Crisis

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Protests have become a seasonal phenomenon in Basra province, southern Iraq. To date, Baghdad’s change of regime has made little difference for Basra’s 4.5 million mostly Shia Muslim residents who are frustrated with government corruption and shortages of electricity, clean water, and employment opportunities.

Iraq Matters Podcast

#35: Mosul’s Recovery: A Dream Deferred

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On this edition of IRAQ MATTERS, Rasha Al-Aqeedi, a native of Mosul and an acclaimed Iraq analyst, discusses Mosul’s 3 years under ISIS, ongoing challenges to the city’s security and recovery, the role of young people and civil society in the fight against intolerance, and Ninewa’s central importance for enabling peace in Iraq.

Iraq Matters Podcast

#34: Corruption and Reconstruction – Lessons Learned

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On this edition of Iraq Matters, Stuart Bowen examines the lessons learned during his ten years as Special Inspector-General for Iraq Reconstruction and how those lessons should be applied to the next phase in Iraq’s post-ISIS recovery.