How Iraq can build a future beyond the sectarianism of the past
The US Institute of Peace’s chief tells Mina Aldroubi what she learnt on her recent visit to the country
The president of the United States Institute of Peace, Nancy Lindborg, who recently visited Iraq, said divisions in the country remain an underlying problem.
And although Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider Al Abadi, announced a military victory against ISIL in December, there must be a focus on reconciliation to bridge sectarian differences, she said.
Iraqis are “alert that although the military campaign is over, Daesh and its ideology is still there”, Mrs Lindborg told The National in Abu Dhabi.
“A person told us that Daesh didn’t come from a different planet, it came from the grievances that existed in Iraq.”
With parliamentary elections scheduled for May, Iraq’s politics remain divided by sect, with Shiite politicians holding the main positions of power while many Sunnis – who have boycotted elections in the past – saying they remain sidelined. The future of the semi-autonomous northern region of Kurdistan also remains unresolved after an unsanctioned referendum on independence last autumn.
For Mrs Lindborg, reconciliation is people’s necessary “mechanism for discussing what is the divide in their community without resorting to violence”.
The government must ensure that it creates an “inclusive and accountable way of governing the country so it’s a government for everyone”, she said. Iraq’s weakened social fabric – alongside widespread corruption – is a stumbling block to efforts to recover from a three-year conflict with the insurgents.
After ISIL’s defeat, Mr Al Abadi started a new effort against corruption and launched a campaign to weed out offenders and force officials to be transparent about their finances.
“Civil society has an important role to play,” Mrs Lindborg said, in reference to the anti-corruption plan. “We’ve had a number of encouraging meetings with active members of civil society who see it as their role and responsibility to hold their government accountable.”
Last week, Kuwait hosted a conference to raise funds to help rebuild Iraq after the battle against ISIL.
Iraqi officials have estimated that almost US$23 billion (Dh84.46bn) is needed for shortterm reconstruction and more than $65bn in the medium term.
“The Kuwait conference, with the emphasis on private investment, shines a light on the importance of addressing corruption,” Mrs Lindborg said.
Washington has stressed that failure to help Iraq rebuild could unravel its gains against ISIL since economic and social problems create sectarian conflict, generating a political vacuum in which extremists are likely to resurface.
“If a state really wants to attract outside investors there needs to be confidence for them that their investments will go to the agreed-upon priorities – this will be a huge factor on the pathway for continuing peace in Iraq,” Mrs Lindborg said.
This issue is of essence especially as the parliamentary elections move nearer.
“We need to have local ownership and a vision that is led by the people and leaders of that country, it can’t be imposed from the outside,” she said.
Mrs Lindborg believes she also witnessed a “growing sense of an Iraqi identity” when she visited the country, which can be backed by regional and US support.
The finding was summarised by the institute in a post on Twitter: “A tribal leader told us, we have been bitten by a snake twice now, by which he meant the extremist uprising of Al Qaeda and then ISIL.
“The Iraqi people are smarter than that. We will vote for the right people this time.”