KIRKUK, 23 June 2004 — Interim Iraqi president here yesterday vowed to work for “peaceful coexistence” in Kirkuk, the oil-rich northern city plagued by ethnic violence, and that the future Iraq would be free of ethnic cleansing.
Kirkuk, 255 km north of Baghdad, underwent an Arabisation campaign during the rule of former President Saddam Hussein.
“Kirkuk should be a city of peaceful coexistence and the new Iraq will not force anyone to leave their home,” Sheikh Ghazi Al-Yawar said during a visit to the city with top US administrator Paul Bremer.
The president, who comes from an influential tribe of Sunni Muslims, gave an angry response to a demand from Kirkuk’s Deputy Governor, Hassib Ruj Bayani, a Kurd, to “chase foreigners out of the city.”
“Your remarks are harsh and I can’t accept them,” he said during a meeting with city officials.
Thousands of Arabs were encouraged during Saddam’s 24-year rule to settle in Kirkuk, which is claimed by the Kurds who are now trying to chase out the relocated Arabs.
The city, which also has a large Turkmen population, is a hotbed of ethnic tension and plagued by frequent violence.
Bremer, who will leave Iraq on June 30 when the US-led coalition hands over sovereignty to Yawar’s government, said $500 million had been spent on about 90 reconstruction projects in the city.
The two-hour visit was conducted under heavy security from US forces and Iraqi police.
