Kirkuk village locals express fears of Arabization as they face eviction order
After decades of displacement, hundreds of families in Kirkuk are yet again threatened to vacate their land or be taken to Court, this time, by an oil company with official backing.
The order came from the North Oil Company (NOC), signed by the Kirkuk Governorate and Security, which demanded the locals abandon the three villages of Hanjeera, Baijan, and Chublija (all falling to the west of the province) claiming “proximity” to the company.
Over 600 families occupy the three villages now. The locals were previously relocated to the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq during the campaigns under the reign of the Ba’athist Regime in Iraq.
Almost all the people affirmed their stance to remain in their villages and expressed vigorous willingness to sacrifice their lives rather than leave.
“We are not going anywhere. Even if they [NOC with the backing of the Iraqi government] behead us, we are not leaving.”
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