French President Calls for Dissolution of Iraqi Militia Groups Including 'Hashd al-Shaabi'

On Saturday, December 2, the French President called for the dissolution of all militia groups in Iraq, including Hashd al-Shaabi, which is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Reuters, Mr. Macron stated at a joint press conference with Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, that it is essential for militia groups, especially Hashd al-Shaabi, to be dissolved gradually. Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, is a group composed of Shiite militants in the country. Officials from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq accuse this group of harassing Kurds in ethnically mixed areas. The French President's remarks, which are a rare public request from a Western leader on this issue, came after his meeting with Nechirvan Barzani and his deputy, Qubad Talabani. This was the first international meeting of Kurdish leaders following the independence referendum held on September 25 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. During the press conference, President Macron stated, "It is very important that especially the Hashd al-Shaabi group, which has emerged in Iraq over the past few years, is dissolved step by step, and this should happen for all militia groups." Earlier, Fars News Agency reported that Hashd al-Shaabi was formed by modeling after Iran's Basij forces. Aqil Hosseini, the head of the Iraqi Mobilization Council, described Hashd al-Shaabi as a continuation of Iran's Basij. Mr. Macron also called for dialogue between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government within the framework of the country's constitution, adding that he believes a "constructive dialogue" could lift the restrictions imposed by Baghdad on the Kurdistan region. In the referendum on September 25, the majority of participants voted in favor of the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, but the result angered the central government in Baghdad and its neighbors, Iran and Turkey. In response, the Shiite government of Iraq seized the city of Kirkuk and other disputed areas between the Kurds and Baghdad. The country also banned direct flights to Sulaymaniyah and Erbil airports and demanded control over border crossings held by the Kurdistan Region. Massoud Barzani, who had led the Kurdistan Region for years, resigned from his position due to these political upheavals, and Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the region, took his place, who has since been trying to negotiate with various parties to end the blockade of the area. On Saturday, Nechirvan Barzani stated that France could play a role in ending the conflict between Baghdad and his government. He remarked, "Regarding the referendum, we are in a new phase, and this matter has now concluded, and we have clarified our position in the Kurdistan Region." Macron called for the implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, which has long been delayed and calls on the central government to resolve the issue of disputed territories between Baghdad and the Kurds. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution called for a referendum in the oil-rich Kirkuk region and other disputed areas by the end of 2007 to ask the resident population whether they wanted to join the Kurdistan region or not. This referendum was not held, which is one of the reasons why the officials of the Kurdistan Region held the referendum on September 25. The Kurds claim that they constituted the majority population in these areas until the 1970s, until the regime of Saddam Hussein carried out ethnic cleansing and replaced them with Arabs. The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which led to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, opened the way for the return of the Kurdish population to these areas.