Iraq is now at a tipping point

It is important to ensure the country doesn’t return to the sectarian bloodshed after the 2003 US-led invasion

These are trying times in Iraq, where the gains made after difficult fighting against Daesh (the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) on the battlefield are now being eroded by sectarian strife — with Daesh itself benefitting from the ensuing chaos. What is for sure is that Daesh has proven to be a stubborn opponent on the ground, fighting to retain its territories and towns, never ceding without the stiffest of resistance. Last month’s victory by Iranian-backed militias, aided by concerted air strikes from the US and its allies, saw Ramadi again retaken after nearly 18 months of Daesh rule. That hard-earned victory in Ramadi was followed by a series of deadly bombings and shootings at targets chosen to inflame sectarian tensions and to provoke a backlash — one that would ensure that Daesh benefitted from those Iraqis who sought protection from the Iranian-backed militias. After last week’s attacks in Diyala, angry mobs attacked several Sunni mosques, completely destroying two of them and killing an imam.

Sadly, the attacks in the Diyala province and the violent response are but stark reminders of the darkest days of Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion, where tens of thousands died in sectarian fighting and when militias controlled streets, towns and regions, undermining the power of the Iraqi government. The latest incidents have led the United Nations envoy to Iraq, Jan Kubis, to call on all sides to “refrain from being drawn into a cycle of reprisals” and warned that the attackers seek to take Iraq “back into the dark days of sectarian strife”. The sectarian violence has also been condemned by Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, who has urged Iraq’s security forces to try and prevent a repeat of the events in Diyala.

Let’s be clear: Any and all violence in Iraq must be condemned in the strongest possible language. Daesh and its forces bring evil under its reign, inflicting terror and fear on local populations. And militias too, who react to deliberate provocative attacks, are feeding into Daesh’s twisted aims. These militias cannot be a law unto themselves. The central government under Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi must do more to bridge the sectarian divide.