NINEVEH PLAINS: Mayor of Baghdede meets delegation of Syriac Church, discuss return of Syriacs to the region

BAGHDEDE, Iraq – The Syriac mayor of the Hamdaniya district Issam Behnam Matti received Syriac Catholic bishops Youhanna Boutros Moshe (Mosul), Ehprem Yusuf Abba (Baghdad), and Father Ronnie Momika at his district head office in Baghdede.

The meeting revolved around joint work to return of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people to the Nineveh Plains and how to promote stability. The two sides discussed the role of central and local government and support from civil society organizations in stabilizing the region. Both sides emphasized the importance of social cohesion between the different components of the Hamdaniya district.

It is worth noting that the terrorist organization Islamic State occupied the city of Baghdede on August 7, 2014. Its liberation in 2017 left massive destruction of infrastructure, religious and cultural centers, and houses. The percentage of burned houses and civil centers by Islamic State was more than 32%.