NINEWA: UNAMI VISITS NINEWA TO ASSESS DISPUTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002260

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: NINEWA: UNAMI VISITS NINEWA TO ASSESS DISPUTED
INTERNAL BOUNDARIES

Classified By: Ninewa PRT Leader Alex Laskaris for reasons 1.4 (b,d).

This is a Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) message.


1. (C) Summary: Working-level UNAMI officials are
recommending that the disputed Ninewa district of Tel Keif be
split between Ninewa and the KRG, and that Shekhan go to the
KRG. They believe that Tal,Afar needs further study and
that Sinjar should remain with Ninewa. The UNAMI team met
with residents, Iraqi officials, and community leaders in Tel
Keif on June 25, and in Tal,Afar, Rabiya, and Zummar on July
5-12. After further consultations in Mosul at the PRT, the
two UNAMI official debriefed PRT personnel on July 10. End
summary.

Both Ninewa and KRG Have Strong Claims to Tel Keif
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2. (C) The UNAMI team said that the district of Tel Keif
should be split between Ninewa and the KRG. Most of the
district had been historically administered by Mosul. Since
Dohuk had officially administered Faida, a northern
sub-district, until 1991, there was a strong case for
returning it to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Al
Qosh sub-district would require further study because of its
large Yezidi population and the fact that it was part of
Shekhan District until 1970, which may go to the KRG.


3. (C) With regard to the creation of an autonomous Christian
region under Article 125, the team explained that through
their consultations they had come to the conclusion that an
autonomous region might present more problems than it solves.
They said that the underlying concern among minorities was
preserving their identity. Consequently, the team will
recommend that UNAMI look into Government of Iraq (GOI) and
KRG guarantees of local administrative and educational rights
for minority communities within their borders.

Residents of Shekhan Favor KRG
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4. (C) The UNAMI team explained that the district of Shekhan
had been split by the Green Line )- three sub-districts
above (administered by the KRG) and two sub-districts below
(administered by Ninewa). As a result, district
administration has not been consistent or strong, which was
evident in the lack of a District Council. The team felt
that Shekhan &would become part of the KRG8. Through
consultations, they found that the Yezidis and Christians in
the district generally saw the KRG as a better option because
it offered a more secular government, security, and improved
access to services.

Tal,Afar Needs Further Review
--------------


5. (C) The UNAMI Team held consultations with GOI officials
and community leaders in Tal,Afar. Opinions ranged from
support for joining the KRG to complete opposition to
anything Kurdish. Regarding the sub-district of Zummar, the
team said that many of the people were pro-KRG due to most of
their services being provided by the KRG. In the
sub-district of Rabiya, the Sunni Arabs expressed fear of the
Kurds, and felt that Ninewa should remain unified, including
places like Zummar, which they claimed had a large Sunni Arab
population who did not wish to join the KRG. UNAMI felt that
the district would require more study before a recommendation
was made.

UN feels that Sinjar Should Remain Part of Ninewa
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6. (C) Although UNAMI representatives could not visit Sinjar
on this trip due to UN-imposed security constraints, they
held consultations with leadership of the district on FOB
Sykes in Tal Afar. Although it is believed that most
residents of Sinjar want to join the KRG, the team pointed
out that they had difficulty seeing how the KRG could
administer Sinjar given its geographic position as a Kurdish
enclave deep within a Sunni Arab area. They explained that,
if the GOI protected educational and cultural rights along
with increasing security and access to services, it would
help residents of the district accept the idea of remaining a
part of Ninewa. The team noted that the KRG clearly wanted
Sinjar, making areas connecting the KRG with the district
hotly contested. However, they felt that upon reviewing the
entire package of UNAMI's recommendations on disputed
internal boundaries, both sides might be willing to

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compromise.

Comment
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7. (C) The UNAMI visit assisted the team in preparing for the
second and third round of UN recommendations on disputed
internal boundaries. The aforementioned findings are the
preliminary views of working-level UN officials. The team
expects to return to Ninewa in August to continue
consultations, and hopes to have a complete set of
recommendations on all disputed territories by September.
CROCKER