ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Political leaders from multiple groups are trying to reconcile the government and Sunni tribes in Anbar, after almost two years of instability and fighting in the western Iraqi province, said Salih Mutlaq, head of the Sunni-majority Arabiya Alliance.

“This project is a clear step to bring together all views and efforts in a national framework,” Mutlaq told the media. He said that political leaders hope to reconcile the warring parties -- the government and Sunni tribes.

“This is to facilitate genuine peace and the opening of a new horizon of brotherhood among the components of our people,” he said.

Mutlaq, a Sunni, is known for his strong nationalist politics. He was once the most vocal critic of the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But in the past two years the two have enjoyed close relations, and Mutlaq has been seen as the most conciliatory towards Iraq’s Shiite-led government.

“A number of independent candidates and winning blocs of the last elections have decided to form this united front,” said Mutlaq, referring to the attempts to look into the situation in Anbar.

Over the past two years, the main Anbar cities of Ramadi and Fallujah have been virtual war zones, with nearly daily fighting between Iraqi troops, Sunni tribes and members of the al-Qaeda breakaway, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS).

The fighting has forced thousands to flee their homes for other parts of the country, many of them to the Kurdistan Region, which remains the only calm portion of Iraq.

Mutlaq and other Sunni politicians sense that stability in Anbar and unity among their groups might serve them well now that Maliki’s bloc, which won 99 seats in the April elections, is seeking partners to form a government.

Maliki may be in greater need of the Sunnis, particularly at a time when the Kurds have given the premier a cold shoulder, showing little interest in joining the central government and vehemently opposing a third term for the premier.

Mutlaq said that they are waiting for Maliki’s National Alliance to finalize its candidate for prime minister before going into any negotiations.

“Solving the tensions in Anbar cannot be done by increasing troop numbers, but by negotiations and meeting people’s demands,” Mutlaq said.

A number of Sunni leaders met in Baghdad last week to prepare for talks with the future prime minister and come up with their list of conditions for participation in the government.

Immediately following the April elections, many Sunni tribal and political leaders gathered in Erbil to create a united front for negotiations with Baghdad.


Rudaw