UK recognizes Sinjar’s Yazidi massacre committed by ISIS in 2014
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The United Kingdom (UK) recognized on Tuesday the genocide committed against the Yazidi people in Sinjar (Shengal) District in northern Iraq by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014.
The recognition came two days before the ninth anniversary of the event. Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said: “The Yazidi population suffered immensely at the hands of Daesh nine years ago and the repercussions are still felt to this day.”
“Justice and accountability are key for those whose lives have been devastated,” he added.
On Aug. 3, 2014, a few months after the proclamation of the self-styled ‘caliphate’ by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS militants converged on the Yazidi’s largest community in Iraq’s Nineveh Governorate, close to the Syrian border. Within hours, the Yazidis were displaced en masse, a majority of which sought shelter on top of nearby Mount Sinjar.
According to official figures, more than 6,000 Yazidis were abducted when ISIS attacked the Yazidi bastion of Sinjar. Over 2,000 remain missing.
“Today we have made the historic acknowledgement that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people. This determination only strengthens our commitment to ensuring that they receive the compensation owed to them and are able to access meaningful justice,” Ahmad announced.
In the villages east and south of Mount Sinjar, a massacre was ensuing. The elderly – men and women alike – were killed on the spot. Yazidi girls were taken to be sold as so-called ‘sex slaves’, while boys were forced to join the ‘Cubs of the Caliphate’ – ISIS’ minor training program.
The massacre resulted in the slaughtering of more than 50,000 Yazidis and the kidnapping of thousands, according to the UN.
The minister pointed out that his country would continue to play a leading role in eradicating ISIS.