Iraqi army blocks Kurdish farmers from cultivating lands in Kirkuk

Farmers in five villages of Kirkuk province are being blocked from cultivating their lands by the Iraqi army, despite official directives allowing them to do so. Mohammed Ismail, a representative from Shanagha village, expressed frustration over the army’s refusal to enforce an order from the Iraqi Council of Ministers, which allows farmers to access disputed lands. The army’s actions have gone further, with reports of electricity cuts, blocked water wells, and other forms of harassment. These villages, still outside Kurdistan Regional Government control, are caught in the long-standing tension stemming from the Ba’ath regime’s Arabization policies, leaving many Kurdish farmers in a constant struggle for their land.