Minister of Foreign Affairs: Returning (500) Iraqi Families from the Syrian Al-Hol Camp to Al-Jada’a Camp in Nineveh Governorate

On 11/5/2022, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Fuad Hussein delivered Iraq’s speech at the ministerial meeting of the International Coalition to combat ISIS, which is being held in Marrakesh.

At the beginning of his speech, the minister commended the international efforts, particularly the United States of America, the European Union, Interpol, the League of Arab States, United Nations agencies, and its mission in Iraq for their continuous support to Iraq in the field of combating terrorism, restoring stability and reconstruction in the areas liberated from ISIS, their supporting in defeating terrorist Daesh, the efforts exerted to support the restoration of stability, the provision of basic services to the liberated cities, the return of displaced persons to their cities, and enhancing the reconstruction efforts, adding: “We extend our thanks to the NATO mission for its efforts in the field of security capacity building, training, and advice.”

The Minister also commended  the will and sacrifices of all countries in the coalition, especially the sacrifices of our people and all our security and military services, which culminated in victory over the largest terrorist organisation the world has witnessed.

In his speech, he confirmed the importance of addressing the humanitarian situation of families in al-Hol camp in Syria, preventing ISIS from infiltrating the IDP camps, and from spreading its terrorist ideology, and reorganizing it, stating that Iraq is ready to receive Iraqi families in al-Hol camp after conducting security checks and verifying their Iraqi nationality.

In his speech, Minister Fuad Hussein called on the coalition countries to assist in the process of transferring them and developing reintegration and rehabilitation programmes, revealing that nearly (500) Iraqi families had been returned to Al-Jada’a camp in Nineveh Governorate, most of them women and children, reiterating by saying: “Iraq urges countries to Assume their responsibilities, receiving its national, and ensuring accountability of those involved in their countries.

The Minister reiterated the call to all countries to cooperate immediately with Iraq to implement their commitments to receive their nationals of the families of terrorists detained in Iraq, or fighters who no criminal judicial decisions have been registered against them, because of their participation in terrorist acts, appreciating the initiatives of the countries which have cooperated with Iraq in this field.

He called on countries to implement their international commitments contained in international resolutions related to combating terrorism and its financing, and the need to exert further efforts in controlling borders, holding the flow of terrorist elements, control and monitoring suspicious financial operations and illegal trade with ISIS and other terrorist organisations, as well as monitoring the methods and means used by these terrorist organisations to recruit terrorists.

He noted the importance of focusing on the transition from restoring stability to reconstruction, and called on countries to fulfil the commitments they made at the Kuwait Conference for the Reconstruction of the Liberated Areas.

He stated that the Iraqi government complements its efforts to end the injustice that befell our multi-component society from the injustice and darkness of terror, as the Iraqi Council of Representatives enacted the Yazidi survivors law, and this is a step that has a great impact in supporting the victims of ISIS and ensuring accountability of its members for the criminal acts committed against innocent citizens. In addition to the bilateral cooperation with many countries of the world in the field of combating terrorism, with the aim of drying up its sources of financing and money laundering, and following up on the implementation of Security Council resolutions related to freezing terrorist funds within the sanctions committee of the terrorist organisations ISIS and al-Qaeda, and the high-level coordination between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations agencies concerned with combating terrorism, including UNAMI, UNODC and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to implement international programmes to support Iraq in restoring stability in the liberated areas.

The Minister confirmed that the Iraqi government faces the ideology of extremism and continues to dry up its intellectual sources, as a basic condition for the safety of societies to realise peaceful coexistence.

At the conclusion of his speech, the Minister affirmed Iraq’s commitment to continue to work and cooperate with the international coalition to combat ISIS, and urges member states to continue support in the field of capacity development, stabilization and reconstruction.