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 -------------- -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- -------------- ¶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 BAGHDAD 00002260 002 OF 002 compromise. Comment -------------- ¶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