Restoring peace in Iraq, the primary commitment of the United Nations. Interview with Staffan de Mistura

Source: Radiovaticana

Translated b y Baghdadhope

In the international scene Iraq is still one of the main political and humanitarian emergencies, the solution of which requires an immediate and long range action by world institutions. While the daily news from the Gulf country report clashes, violence and victims, the UN reproposes its presence in Baghdad so that security, life and peace can be restored for all social and religious realities of the country. Giancarlo La Vella spoke with Staffan de Mistura, the UN representative in Iraq:

It’s a situation made of shadows and lights. The shadows are clearly the acts of violence. Let us not forget what happened to the Bishop of Mosul, the killing of the priest in Baghdad, what is happening in Basra and Sadr City, but there are also lights. Iraqis are tired of violence, economy is improving and there are large areas in the north and elsewhere where life, if not normal, in any case greatly improved. And there is their desire to take the future in their hands, I mean: to participate in elections, in the improved daily life. Iraqis ask for services, water, electricity, they don’t want to see only a violent confrontation.
Considering a possible American disengagement, albeit in a future not yet forthcoming, the assumption of responsibility of UN in Iraq is being weighed?

It is already happening! By resolution 1770, on the basis of which the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent me to Iraq, the UN have big responsibilities. As an example: we are involved in first person in assisting the Iraqis so that elections can be held. The elections should give voice to those who do not have it, because they should not once again become violent to make it hear. Two: the potentially explosive questions of Kirkuk and of disputed territories. Three: the question of human rights and humanitarian aid. In all this UN are at the forefront.
Each crisis situation almost always generates a humanitarian emergency. Iraq is a country from where people flee, an issue that affects particularly the Christian minority. What can be done?

There are among 4.2 million refugees and displaced persons today in Iraq. Most of them are Sunni, there are also Shiites and the Christian community. They fled during the worst period of violence, after the destruction of the mosque in Samarra. What we can and must do is first of all to restore stability and security. People - Christians - need to know that where they are they can continue to live. What can be done, therefore, is for us to insist that the government do its duty to protect not only the community in general, but communities and minorities. Christians are an important and respected component that gave much - professionally - to Iraqis and that want to stay in Iraq, but they need security. In these days I have been in Northern Iraq: I never heard any of the Christians telling me: we want to leave. They told me: "We love this land, we are part of this land, but we need security."
When you accepted this task what did you think of such an important challenge as taking peace to such a tormented country?

It was not an easy decision! But I could not refuse. For three reasons: the first is that the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, insisted that there was a mission composed by experts of Iraq so that UN might and could have the opportunity to demonstrate its usefulness in a crucial moment. Two: because this is a crucial moment. 2008 is the year of truth in Iraq, the year in which Iraqis will have the opportunity, but also the responsibility, for their own future. And three because I owe it to some friends of mine, to my colleagues who died in Iraq: Sergio Vera De Mello and others. They must not be dead in vain.