Attachments
Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Sudani Urges Parliament To Support Budget Amendments; Egypt’s PM Visits Baghdad, Signs Twelve New Agreements – On January 29, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani convened a meeting with the leaders of parliamentary blocs to discuss advancing a proposal to amend parts of the federal budget law concerning oil produced in the Kurdistan region. Sudani urged political leaders to support the amendments his government proposed, aiming to resume the halted oil exports from Kurdistan by offering the regional government better terms for recovering oil production and transportation costs. He stressed that parliament should vote on the exact text sent by the government in November without any alterations. According to a government statement, the political leaders present at the meeting expressed their support for Sudani’s request, and a vote on the budget law amendment has been scheduled for Sunday. On January 30, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli arrived in Baghdad and met with Sudani to discuss bilateral relations, cooperation, and regional issues of mutual interest. During the visit, Iraq and Egypt signed 12 agreements covering various sectors, including transportation, antitrust regulations, antiquities and museums, stock market oversight, telecommunications, trade, and grain storage. In other developments, on January 24, UNAMI said it was “closely following the latest developments” regarding last week’s parliamentary vote approving controversial amendments to the Personal Status Law. UNAMI emphasized the importance of ensuring that “legal reforms align with Iraq’s international human rights commitments, particularly in relation to safeguarding the rights and well-being of women and children.” more…
- SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Iraqi Border Guards, Civilians Killed in PKK Attack and Turkish Strikes – On January 24, militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) opened fire on Iraqi border guards near the Turkish border in the Batofa subdistrict of Duhok province, killing two and wounding a third member of the force. Later that same day, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said its forces killed two PKK members in the same area after the militants attacked border guard patrols. Meanwhile, two strikes by Turkish military drones in Duhok and Sulaymaniyah provinces killed a total of six people. Four of the victims were identified as Syrian Kurds, while the other two were identified as local farmers. In other developments, on January 23, Iraq’s navy received three new coastal patrol boats manufactured by shipbuilder ENM Korea. On January 26, an explosive remnant of war detonated while work crews were removing rubble inside the perimeter of the military academy in al-Zafaraniyah, southeast of Baghdad. The explosion killed a security guard and wounded another. On the same day, Iraqi authorities repatriated 148 Iraqi households from al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Fire Hits Iraq’s Largest Oil Field; Baghdad Seeks Investors To Run Four Airports; Senior Oil Official Sacked Over Refinery Troubles – On January 24, a huge fire erupted at an oil processing station in the Rumaila oil field in Basra. The fire was brought under control later that day without affecting production at the field, where output averages around 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd). Three oil workers sustained minor injuries. On January 28, the Iraqi government approved a contract between the Ministry of Transportation and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to prepare an investment information package for managing and operating four airports in Basra, Mosul, Dhi-Qar, and Najaf. On January 29, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani removed the Oil Ministry’s deputy for refining affairs, Hamid al-Zobaie, and replaced him by the director general of the North Refineries Company, Adnan Hmoud. A member of the parliamentary oil and gas committee attributed the move to “mounting problems” affecting key refineries, especially Karbala and Dora. There have been unconfirmed reports of design and construction flaws at Iraq’s newest refinery in Karbala, which last year was taken offline for more than a month for extensive maintenance, just a little over a year after its inauguration. In other developments, on January 29, Iraq’s Minister of Electricity warned that demand for electricity could rise to nearly 55,000 megawatts by next summer, while the country’s installed production capacity currently stands at approximately 28,000 megawatts. more…
For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.
POLITICS: Sudani Urges Parliament To Support Budget Amendments; Egypt’s PM Visits Baghdad, Signs Twelve New Agreements
On January 24, the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) said it was “closely following the latest developments” regarding last week’s vote in parliament that approved controversial amendments to the Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959. In its statement, UNAMI stressed that it was important “that legal reforms align with Iraq’s international human rights commitments, particularly in relation to safeguarding the rights and well-being of women and children, in a way that…preserves the country’s historic achievements and gains.” The statement adds that UNAMI officials “have engaged extensively with the relevant Iraqi stakeholders and emphasized the need for a constructive and inclusive dialogue,” and will continue to do so “reaffirming the United Nations’ steadfast support for Iraq in its aspirations toward a state governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights.” In related news, UNAMI chief Mohammed al-Hassan met with parliament speaker Mohammed al-Mashhadani on Sunday to discuss the vote and its implications. The speaker defended the amendments, saying they took into consideration Iraq’s sectarian diversity by giving Shia Muslims the right to follow religiously-defined guidelines in family matters while allowing Sunni Muslims to continue to resort to the existing law. The UN envoy also discussed the situation with deputy speaker Mohsin al-Mandalawi. During the meeting, the two sides agreed on “cooperation [between Iraq and the UN] regarding legislative proposals concerning human rights,” according to a statement by Mandalawi’s office that did not offer further details.
On January 26, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Baghdad and met with Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. The two sides discussed bilateral relations, developments in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, and the coordination of efforts towards stability in the region, a statement by Sudani’s office said. Sudani and Fidan also discussed the implementation of bilateral agreements signed last year during President Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad and Sudani’s subsequent visit to Ankara, as well as issues related to the Development Road project, the statement added. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Fidan said that Turkey wants to “contribute to all projects related to development, as we will work to support and implement the Development Road project,” noting that “the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Turkey has reached $20 billion.” Turning to security matters, the Turkish diplomat pointed out that “understanding on security and stability between the two countries is of utmost importance, particularly in combating the terrorist organizations ISIS and the PKK,” adding also that his government places “great importance on communication between Iraq and the new administration in Syria.” During his visit, Fidan also met with President Abdul-Latif Rashid and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani.
On January 28, the Iraqi government agreed to allocate IQD 398.6 billion (approximately $304 million) to cover the anticipated costs of organizing the next parliamentary election in the country, which are expected to take place before the end of 2025.
On January 29, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani convened a meeting with the leaders of parliamentary blocs and speaker Mashhadani to discuss advancing a government proposal to amend certain provisions of the federal budget law concerning oil produced in the Kurdistan region. During the meeting, Sudani urged the political leaders to support the amendments proposed by his government, which aim to facilitate the resumption of oil exports from Kurdistan by offering the regional government better terms regarding the recovery of oil production and transportation costs. Sudani stressed that parliament should vote on the exact text sent by the government in November without any alterations, a government statement said. The speaker, his deputies, and the political leaders present at the meeting expressed their support for Sudani’s request, the statement added. On the following day, a press release by parliament showed that a vote on the budget law amendment has been scheduled for Sunday, February 2. Under the proposed amendments, the federal government would compensate the KRG for oil production and transportation costs at the rate of $16 per barrel. In return, the KRG would immediately begin delivering the oil to the federal government. The federal and regional governments would then have 60 days to jointly hire an international consultant to calculate “the fair cost of production and transportation for each field separately.”
On January 30, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli arrived in Baghdad and met with his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed al-Sudani, to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation and regional issues of mutual interest, a statement by Sudani’s office said. During the visit, Iraq and Egypt signed 12 agreements dealing with various sectors including transportation, antitrust, antiquities and museums, stock market oversight, telecommunications, trade, and grain storage. At a joint press conference, Sudani hailed cooperation between Iraq and Egypt through their joint ministerial committee as the most successful, underscoring that Thursday’s agreements follow another batch of 11 agreements signed in Cairo in June of 2023. Turning to regional affairs, Sudani and Madbouli voiced unity in rejecting any measures leading to the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their land.
Sources cited in this section include: UNAMI, ISHM archive, INA, Mawazin, Iraqi PM’s office, al-Hurra, Dijlah TV.
SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Iraqi Border Guards, Civilians Killed in PKK Attack and Turkish Strikes
On January 23, Iraq’s navy received three new coastal patrol boats manufactured by shipbuilder ENM Korea, the Defense Ministry said. The new boats are equipped with advanced surveillance and communications systems and will be used to provide enhanced security for the country’s oil export platforms and commercial ports, the ministry added.
On January 24, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said that militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) opened fire on Iraqi border guards near the Turkish border in the Batofa subdistrict of Duhok province. Two border guards were killed and a third was wounded by the PKK fire, the ministry added. In a subsequent statement on the same day, the Interior Ministry said its forces killed two PKK members in the same area after the militants attacked border guards patrols.
On January 26, security sources in Baghdad said that an explosive remnant of war detonated while work crews were removing rubble from an area inside the perimeter of the military academy in al-Zafaraniyah, southeast of Baghdad. The explosion killed a security guard and wounded another.
On January 26, Iraqi authorities repatriated 148 Iraqi households from al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, according to a senior Migration Ministry official in Ninewa province. Most of the returnees are women and children, the source added, without providing the exact number of individuals comprising the 148 households. The repatriated families, which have perceived ties to ISIS, were sent to al-Jedaa camp in Ninewa to undergo vetting and rehabilitation before they can return to their home districts. To date, Iraq has repatriated 18 cohorts of displaced people from al-Hol, according to information provided by the Migration Ministry this week.
On January 27, Kurdistan24 reported that a Turkish airstrike killed two civilians while they were herding their animals near the village of Bamismish within the Akre district of Duhok province. On the same day, to the southeast, local sources in Sulaymaniyah said that an armed drone strike targeted a civilian vehicle in the Ranya district of the province, killing four people. The victims, of whom two were women, were identified as Syrian Kurds, according to local police officials.
Sources cited in this section include: Iraq’s Ministry of Defense, INA, al-Sumaria, Baghdad Today, Kurdistan24, Rudaw.
ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Fire Hits Iraq’s Largest Oil Field; Baghdad Seeks Investors To Run Four Airports; Senior Oil Official Sacked Over Refinery Troubles
On January 24, a huge fire erupted at the Rumaila oil field in Basra, the Oil Ministry said. The fire affected one of the gas separation (water separation in other reports) stations within Rumaila, which is Iraq’s largest field, with a daily production of around 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd). Footage captured by oil workers showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the facility, and firefighters responding to the incident. The fire was brought under control later that day, reportedly without impact to production operations. Three oil workers suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident, reports said.
On January 28, the Iraqi government approved a contract between the Ministry of Transportation and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to prepare an investment information package for the management and operation of several Iraqi airports. Specifically, the plan envisions seeking public private partnership (PPP) agreements with foreign companies to operate the airports of Basra, Mosul, Dhi-Qar, and Najaf.
On January 29, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani ordered the removal of the Oil Ministry’s deputy for refining affairs, Hamid al-Zobaie, according to a member of the parliamentary oil and gas committee. The sacked Zobaie will be replaced by the director general of the North Refineries Company, Adnan Hmoud, the lawmaker added. The decision was attributed to the “mounting problems” impacting several refineries, especially Karbala and Dora, the lawmaker, Ali Mashkour explained. There have been unconfirmed reports about design and build flaws impacting Iraq’s newest refinery in Karbala. Last year, the 140,000 bpd refinery was taken offline for more than a month to undergo extensive maintenance, a little more than a year after it was inaugurated.
On January 29, Iraq’s Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadhil, said that demand for electricity could rise to between 50,000 – 55,000 megawatts by next summer against installed production capacity of approximately 28,000 megawatts. To keep up with rising demand, which stood at nearly 48,000 megawatts last summer, the Electricity Ministry has set a goal to grow generation capacity by 3,000 megawatts each year, the minister added while addressing an energy conference in Baghdad. The minister emphasized that fuel shortages represented an added challenge, pointing out that the suspension of gas imports from Iran reduced actual power generation by approximately 8,000 megawatts.
On January 30, Kirkuk governor Rebwar Talabani said the local government has signed a deal with an investor to build a new oil refinery in the province. The facility, to be built by the Kurdistan region based Rania Group, will have a capacity to process 70,000 bpd of crude oil, according to Talabani. The facility will be built near the site of the North Gas Company south of the provincial capital, the governor added. The same deal was first announced by Iraq’s Oil Ministry more than six years ago in 2018.
Sources cited in this section include: Dijlah TV, Reuters, Rudaw, Baghdad Today, Shafaq, ISHM archive, Kurdistan24.
Derived from firsthand accounts and Iraq-based Arabic and Kurdish news sources, the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor is a free publication of the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center.