Former Iraqi Governor of Nineveh Adnan al-Zarfi: U.S. Congress discusses establishing two autonomous regions in Nineveh and Sighur, Iraq

NINEVEH PLAIN, SHIGUR, Iraq — In a TV interview, the former Iraqi Governor of Nineveh Adnan al-Zarfi stated that the U.S. Congress discusses establishing two autonomous regions in Nineveh and Sighur (Sengal, Sinjar), Iraq.

Al-Zarfi unofficial statement brought back the issue of the Nineveh Plain region, which Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people’s parties had always demanded in previous years, in order to obtain their right to autonomous rule like their counterparts in Iraq.

The autonomous regions project that many parties and movements put forward was not met with any actual step by the central government, despite articles in the Iraqi constitution, which stipulated federalism and autonomous rule for the regions.

In addition to a clear European support, which was evident to our people parties in many meetings that took place after 2016, especially after liberating the Nineveh Plain from the Islamic State (ISIS).

However, federalism in the mentality of successive Iraqi governments remained limited only to Kurds and Arabs, with excluding the Christian and Yezidi ethnic components.