An agreement between Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in coordination with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, has bolstered federal authority and paved the way for reconstruction in the Sinjar district.

Friday's agreement was hailed by the UN mission as the “first and important step in the right direction” for the district, which witnessed the Islamic State's genocide against the Yazidis in 2014. Since the defeat of the extremist group, Yazidi survivors have continued to face extreme security obstacles, inadequate governance and a lack of basic provisions.

Sinjar, in Ninevah province, has seen two different administrations in the past, one appointed by Erbil and another by Baghdad. And the district is crowded with armed forces vying for increased influence, including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Sinjar Resistance Units and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) as well as federal authorities and Kurdish peshmerga fighters. 

“The agreement will directly contribute to accelerate the return of the displaced families to their homes and ensure their stability in their areas,” said the deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Bashir al-Haddad.