Serê Kaniyê displaced demand security guarantees before return

Displaced people living in camps have expressed concern over the lack of security and stability following attacks against some displaced residents of Serê Kaniyê during their return as part of the first convoy to the city on August 10.

Fattah Mustafa, a displaced resident from the village of Duwaira, said seven years had passed since their displacement, while they continued to live in tents under difficult living conditions after losing their homes, land and property.

“Today, if I return to my home, I will set up my tent inside it, but I must live in safety. The lack of security is one of the biggest problems we face today. If we are going to be attacked upon our return, why have we endured all these hardships for seven years?” he said.

He stressed that the displaced would not accept returning to their city unless the necessary protection was provided, adding that the presence of Internal Security Forces at the front of return convoys was a key condition for them.

“If the Internal Security Forces are not at the front of our convoys, we will not return,” he said.

Mustafa called on the authorities responsible for the return of displaced people to accompany the convoys and protect those returning.

“What we ask of the relevant authorities is to be with us at the front of our convoys to ensure our safety and protection, so that we can return to our homes. Otherwise, we will never be able to return,” he said.

Amina Mohammed, another displaced woman, said: “We were extremely happy when the lists of names for the return to our city arrived, but the attacks suffered by the first convoy inside the city brought our fears back.”

Amina explained that their main demand had always been to ensure security and protection. Her husband had gone to their home to check on it, despite their names not being included among those returning in the first convoy, but he was unable to enter because people occupying their property prevented him from doing so.

“These are our properties, not someone else’s. We have suffered for seven years for the right to return to our homes and our city. Our first and only demand was security, and even before any convoy departed, our demand was to provide security,” she said.

Amina questioned the purpose of organizing return convoys while people continue to occupy the homes of displaced residents, stressing: “The authorities responsible for the return must guarantee security and protection before sending more convoys.”

Kardo Ali, another resident, said the displaced had lived for seven years with the hope of returning to their homes and that agreements concerning their return and integration had restored their hope. However, the attacks against the first convoy inside the city had once again raised their concerns.

Ali stressed that their main demand was to ensure security and remove those occupying the properties of displaced residents, adding that this demand was not limited to him but applied to all displaced people wishing to return.

“We call on the authorities responsible for the return to protect us so that we can return to our city. We cannot return if we are going to live in fear of being attacked every day,” he said.

The displaced stress that seven years of displacement have not ended their commitment to their right to return to Serê Kaniyê. At the same time, they emphasize that safe return, guaranteed protection, and the safeguarding of their homes and property are essential conditions that cannot be overlooked before return convoys resume.

a.k

ANHA