Iraq witnesses violence following al-Sadr retirement
ERBIL, KRI, Iraq, (North Press) – Late on Monday, violence spread increasingly in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, as deaths were reported in clashes erupted amid curfew and closure of schools by the authorities.
Violence followed political agitation among Shiite groups in the aftermath of failure to form a government after the snap judiciary elections held in the country nearly 11 months ago.
Violence in the Green Zone and its outskirts developed into armed clashes between supporters of the two politically opposing Shiite factions; the Coordination Framework and the al-Sadrist Movement.
The Iraqi Security Media Cell (ISMC) announced that the Green Zone was shelled by four rockets which hit a housing complex causing damages.
Prior, media outlets quoted sources as saying militants of the Saraya al-Salam, an armed faction loyal to al-Sadr, fired at targets in the Green Zone.
AFP reported that 23 supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr were killed and 350 protesters were injured some by bullets and others by tear gas, in the clashes.
Before clashes
Prior to clashes, supporters entered the Presidential Palace in Baghdad, a short while after their leader Muqtada al-Sadr retired politics early in the morning on Monday.
Videos went viral showed protesters holding photos of al-Sadr and others roaming the palace while others were swum in the pool inside the Presidential Palace.
Al-Sadr retirement came a week after his supporters withdrew from the front of the Federal Court as a message to the judiciary authorities that did not decide to his favor as the leader of the most influential bloc in the Parliament.
Al-Sadr rejected dialogue with his competitors which he dubbed as “corrupt and conspirators,” emphasizing parliament be dissolved and snap elections be held.
The Sadrist Movement could not form a majority government in agreement with the Sunni bloc led by al-Halbousi and the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc. Two months ago, it withdrew from the parliament that was followed by the storming of the parliament by his supporters early in August.
The Coordination Framework and its allies formed the “one-third guaranteeing” without which both runners for president and government could be agreed upon, according to the constitution.
Prior to the violence, the political crisis reached apex as political parties could not find solution by dialogue that was advocated by all parties.
It was excepted, observers said, that al-Sadr moves in his supporters though retiring politics on Monday.
A number of governorates in central and south Iraq suspended official working on Tuesday, hours after the Kadhimi-led government imposed curfew in the whole of the country.
The United Nations, foreign embassies and leaders of local powers all shared one vision; the call to calm.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged immediate steps be taken to alleviate the situation and avert violence in Iraq, saying he was following the events with concern, calling at the same time for self-constraint and to engage, without much delay, in an overall and peaceful dialogue.
Following armed clashes in which RPG-7s and mortars were used, as shown by videos, Iraqi President Barham Saleh tweeted “Iraqis’ blood is a red line.”
International position
The European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM Iraq) called in a brief statement on all parties to exercise self-constraint.
From his part, Head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Masoud Barzani said he was following with “concern” the recent events and developments in Iraq, calling for self-constraint and taking into account the public interest.
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said in a brief statement it urged all parties to refrain from violence laying stress on the necessity of “calm and self-constraint.”
Iraqi Prime Minster Mustafa al-Kadhimi commended the two separate statements issued by Muqtada al-Sadr and Head of the Fatah Alliance Hadi al-Amiri, both calling to stop violence.
The US Embassy in Iraq said reports of disturbances in Iraq were concerning as Iraqi institutions are not allowed to work.
The Arab League and foreign embassies in Iraq, such as Britain and France’s adopted similar positions channeling into the same direction.
The crisis in Iraq heads towards more violence and armed escalation as sporadic clashes continue amid fears that escalation could develop into a civil war.