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Rabat – Fighting between rival Iraqi forces has entered its second day, with more than 30 lives being claimed by the fighting so far.
The violence began when powerful Shia political leader Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Monday that he would retire from Iraqi politics. The announcement prompted hundreds of his supporters to storm the government palace in protest and clash with security forces.
Al-Sadr himself gave his supporters one hour on Tuesday to withdraw from the government palace and stop protesting, offering an official apology to the Iraqi people.
The politician said his supporters are “well-behaved,” but threatened to absolve himself of them if they do not withdraw by the deadline he specified.
Observers and experts are attributing the violence to a high degree of fragmentation in Iraqi politics. Early elections, called for by al-Sadr, might result in no political party winning a majority, leading to more instability.
Amid all this violence, international parties have called for restraint and a peaceful resolution. Alina Romanowski, US Ambassador to Iraq, called the unrest “disturbing.”
“Now is the time for dialogue to resolve differences, not through confrontation,” the US ambassador said in a statement on Twitter, adding that Iraq’s security and stability should not be put at risk.
Canadian ambassador Gregory Galligan said he was “deeply alarmed” by the conflicts, warning against the situation spiraling even further out of control.
“Canada urges all parties to take steps to quickly de-escalate the situation and resolve differences through negotiation for the benefit of all Iraqis,” he said.
Amid the chaos, Iran closed its land border with Iraq, and Turkey has urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Baghdad until the crisis is resolved. Airlines such as Emirates have suspended their flights to Baghdad.
