Assyrian leader: Baghdad signals support for Nineveh Plain Administrative Unit

Manna discussed the initiatives during an interview with Assyria TV on the sidelines of the Assyrian National Convention, held in Chicago in September.

“We work on five concrete things,” Manna said. “Implementation of Article 125 to establish an administrative unit in the Nineveh Plain; support for rebuilding the villages and towns from the central government and the Nineveh Governorate; creating a local police force that will be tasked with protecting the area and be tied to the Iraqi National Guard; addressing demographic changes in our areas; and things like the alcohol ban, which has had a negative financial impact on our community.”

Manna also disclosed that his team recently met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to specifically discuss the situation of Assyrians in Iraq. “We talked about the ongoing challenges our people are facing and gave him some suggestions on what the U.S. administration can do,” Manna said.

Meetings with Iraqi leadership

Manna also spoke about his meetings with Iraqi political leaders, including former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and, more recently, Prime Minister Nouri al-Zaidi, whom he said he met in Washington, D.C., in July.

According to Manna, al-Zaidi made several commitments concerning Assyrian communities in the Nineveh Plain. “Al-Zaidi made some great promises, including the allocation of land in Tel Keppe and Baghdede,” Manna said. He added that the Iraqi prime minister had also pledged to establish a committee to examine the creation of an administrative unit in the Nineveh Plain.

Manna further said that al-Zaidi supported the appointment of an Assyrian adviser for Christian affairs in Iraq and expressed his intention to ensure that a previously promised local police force is eventually established.

The proposed administrative unit is linked to Article 125 of the Iraqi Constitution, which provides constitutional guarantees for the administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of various communities, including Assyrians, in areas where they form a significant part of the population.

Manna said that the discussions with Iraqi and U.S. officials indicate what he sees as a growing willingness to address issues affecting Assyrians in Iraq. “A lot of good things are happening,” Manna said. “Even the U.S. is talking about things that we are raising, and they are advocating just like we are.”

“This is the best opportunity to get things done,” he concluded.