Nenos Chamany ܢܝܢܘܣ ܟܡܢܝ

Christians, mainly Assyrians, in Duhok held a protest against what they describe as continued encroachment on their land and property across the province, much of it in villages outside Duhok city rather than inside the city itself. The protesters gathered outside the Duhok Governorate building, calling on the governorate to urgently put an end to the violations. Several Christian outlets and other media also reported that KDP security forces prevented some villagers, including people coming from the Nineveh Plains, from reaching Duhok. Videos circulating online appear to show groups protesting outside checkpoints after being denied entry. The protest appears to have been driven mainly by supporters of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, whose strongest base is in Duhok. Most of the visible flags at the demonstration belonged to the movement. This is notable because some figures from the Zebari tribe have suggested that the protests may have been encouraged by Rayan Kildani’s Babylon Movement to stir unrest in the province. While Kildani may welcome the pressure on the KDP, the available visual evidence does not suggest that his movement played a leading role. The Assyrian Democratic Movement is a rival of Kildani’s Babylon Movement and has its own long-established base in Duhok. The land dispute itself is not new. Over the past several years, several committees have been formed in both Erbil and Duhok to address the seizure of Christian land and property. Most, however, have failed to resolve the issue. In Erbil, for example, Assyrians have long claimed that land around Erbil International Airport and nearby areas was taken over by the KRG without proper compensation or consent. In Duhok, several protesters told media outlets that large plots of land that were meant to be restored to Assyrian villagers after 1991 were never returned. Some claimed that parts of this land were instead taken over by prominent Zebari tribal figures, including uncles of Masoud Barzani. These allegations remain disputed, but they point to a deeper and longstanding grievance among Assyrian communities in the province: that promises made after the 1991 uprising to return land to its original owners were only partly fulfilled, while politically connected figures were able to consolidate control over contested areas.