Local reconciliation in Mosul
In Mosul, Iraq, local efforts for reconciliation and stabilisation continued as Nineveh National Association (NNA) came together for the fourth time on 1-2 February. 51 representatives from different religious and ethnic communities and from diverse parts of the Nineveh province attended.
The meeting, held in Erbil, gathered local and central government representatives, members of Parliament, opposition actors, tribal leaders, religious leaders, members of civil society and the media. Across their differences they are resolved to cooperate to contribute to ensuring security and enabling reconciliation in Mosul and Nineveh. The NNA seeks to function as a bridge between different religious and political communities, as well as between the people and local and central authorities.
The self-recruiting platform was established with facilitation from NOREF in 2017 at a time when Mosul’s liberation from Daesh was imminent and the need for common approaches to security and stabilisation were crucial. It has since then been able to maintain a space for dialogue and coordination that has also created increasingly strong relations across communities and sectors. The meeting in Erbil was the last one facilitated by NOREF. NNA’s ambition is to continue to work on its internal structure and towards implementation of planned activities, including local reconciliation efforts, promotion of the association to the public, and advocacy and advice to local authorities.
“With its broad representation, the NNA is well placed to strengthen cooperation at the political and societal levels in Mosul”, says NOREF senior adviser Frida Nome. “Dialogue alone is no miracle cure, but it is sorely needed to unify the efforts of making the province safe for its inhabitants again, following years of Daesh occupation”, she says.
Photo: Katja Cappelen/NOREF