Lawlessness Sweeps Kurdish Town

Hundreds of security forces have been deployed in the Kurdish town of Chamchamal after a wave of unsolved murders moved residents to demand government intervention.

Locals claim a bloody tribal vendetta has spilled onto the streets, making revenge killings and rapes a common occurrence in this community some 20 kilometres from the disputed town of Kirkuk.

Residents also speak of "mafia groups" that operate with impunity, creating an atmosphere of fear and violence that has tainted the town’s reputation.

Experts say the town’s conflicts are worsened by years of forced relocation, unemployment and a well-known culture of lawlessness.

"Chamchamal…has a long history of conflict and violence,” said Ali Kurdistani, a political analyst who conducted conflict resolution seminars in Chamchamal in 2008. “This history has deeply affected all aspects of daily life and now you can see this in terms of how the people treat each other."

The town was badly affected during the Anfal campaign in the 1980s, in which hundreds of thousands of Kurds were displaced and killed. Mass graves are still being discovered in the surrounding hills. [See: DNA Testing to Reveal Mass Grave Secrets]

Kurdistani said Chamchamal also suffered “because of their own bloody conflicts between tribes and between political parties during the civil war of the mid-1990s. The people there have mostly only lived in situations where people were killing each other. That's why it's still the most armed town in Kurdistan”.

Today, Chamchamal is a sprawling town of roughly 100,000 residents. Crime-ridden and impoverished, it is a labyrinth of muddy, pot-holed streets lined with half-finished concrete buildings and crumbling mud-brick homes.

The town has long been synonymous with lawlessness in Iraqi Kurdistan, but residents say they are alarmed by the recent spike in violent crimes.

"Ever since December the situation has been like never before. It is more dangerous than ever,” Hana Attar, an 18-year-old student, said. “When you bump shoulders with someone, no one accepts an apology. A small incident like this can lead to bloodshed.”

Authorities and residents report conflicting figures on the spate of crime in the town. Police chief Dara Abdullah said there had been four murders in Chamchamal since December, which led to two arrests, with one suspect still at large. He claims the media has exaggerated the situation, but concedes that the town has problems.

"Since the liberation of Iraq in 2003, crimes have increased because we are on the border with Kirkuk and other unsafe places. This area is tribal and sometimes the local policemen refuse to arrest people from their own tribe," Abdullah said.

But Karim Agha Hamawandi, the 82-year-old leader of the area's largest tribe, echoed a claim made by many residents that 17 murders had been committed, many in broad daylight, over a span of 20 days. He attributed them all to tribal disputes. In an appeal to Kurdish authorities for better security, civil society leaders also reported that 17 people had been murdered.

"Everyone knows about the killings, rapes and honour killings that happened last month. The police here aren't strong enough to arrest the criminals," said Burhan Hashim, 46, a teacher playing backgammon at a local teahouse, reflecting a widely held view.

"The average person who lives and works here wishes we could live in a civilised way, not [by] the culture of the gun," he added.

The Kurdish news agency Peyamner reported that from December 15 to January 15, there were more than 100 reports of violent incidents, including 12 murders, seven shootings, scores of robberies and the gang rape of a young woman.

Chamchamal's top judge, Omar Salih, described the situation in Chamchamal last month as "out of control".

Harrowing stories about criminals and their actions circulate throughout the town.

“About 10 days ago, my cousin had a date with a girl. When the family of the girl found out they killed my cousin and their girl too," said Aram Ali, a 20-year-old worker in Chamchamal's bazaar.

"A mafia group in this town is above the law. Just a few weeks ago, some of them raped a girl and left her at midnight. When she went home, she was immediately killed by her dad.

“The criminals all walk free and no one can arrest them. Our town has become really scary; our children often wake up at night and scream when they hear the sound of guns."

In the wake of the violence, last month a group of teachers, journalists, activists and lawyers submitted a petition to the KRG, threatening to hold protests if the government did not deploy security forces in the town and bring the perpetrators to justice.

"What makes the crimes in this town different from other places in Iraq and the world is that the criminals here are well known and walk the streets freely. The court and police don’t dare arrest them. There is a mafia group here that is above the law and we asked the KRG to take them to court," said Aso Shwani, a 28-year-old activist who signed the petition.

In response to the group's plea, a top-level delegation of security officials arrived in Chamchamal on February 4, accompanied by roughly 150 troops in armored personnel carriers equipped with heavy automatic weapons.

"We have brought these extra troops with us to Chamchamal and asked the KRG to deploy another 100 policemen to the town in order to control the situation," said Colonel Hussein Mansur, the top police official in the region, which also includes the towns of Kfri and Kalar.

Mansur also downplayed media reports of the extent of the crime wave, but confirmed that many of the perpetrators were still at large.

"Some of the criminals escaped to Kirkuk and the rest of Iraq where, due to unrest, they can hide themselves. Some others went to Europe," Mansur said.

"You should know that this town has many tribal and social problems, which can be traced back to the Saddam regime. Each tribe has its enemy," he added.

Judge Salih said he was encouraged by the civil society group's call for action and the government's subsequent response. He told IWPR on February 7 that investigations had been "energised" since the new troops arrived and that his office had handed over a list of 180 of the town's most-wanted criminals to the KRG.

"We don't have a strong court, and no one responds to it here. Our problem is that those criminals who are wanted by us have no respect for the law or the court," said the judge.

Hamawandi, the tribal chief, said that some of the public’s scepticism about the court may come from the presence of a tribal system of justice that has ruled the town's fractious clans for generations. When disputes arise, he said, the tribal leaders gather to solve the problem.

"Tribal problems should be solved among tribes. We solve problems without the court. Sometimes the court doesn't even know of the problems," he said, although he admitted that the tribes could only solve two of the 17 recent reported murders.

"The conflict and fighting will never end in this town because of how it was altered. Saddam destroyed many villages in the area, and the expelled people came to this town. Since the Anfal campaign, thousands were brought here. There are now ten tribes and it is difficult to co-exist.”

Activist Shwani blames the tribal judgement system for worsening crime in Chamchamal.

"The criminals either belong to political parties or tribes and they are rich. They put up money for the crime and kill whomever they want. Then they go to the tribal court, in which the criminal gives money to the poor and the problem is solved," Shwani said.

With the residents of Chamchamal left to call on higher authorities to provide security and justice, many townspeople told IWPR they are forced to arm themselves for their own protection.

"I have to carry a weapon with me because I go home late at night and I really need it to protect myself. This city has many criminals and they roam around freely. Just stay here with me for a bit and I will show you some," said Bassam Attar, 17, as he showed off a six-inch switchblade he pulled from his pocket.

Kurdistani, the analyst, said Iraqis often rely on tribal justice rather than the law to resolve disputes.

“They have never experienced a functional legal system to solve their problems, so they always looking for tribal solutions. Sometimes even they ignore tribal solutions, and see revenge as best option," he said.

"Most Iraqis see law as a gun in the hand of an authoritarian regime trying to oppress the people,” he said. “Laws and courts are seen as working in the interest of these groups, not the interest of the people."

Charles McDermid is an IWPR Iraq editor in Sulaimaniyah. Hemin H Lihony is an IWPR Iraq local editor in Sulaimaniyah.