STRUGGLES

The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) ofSouth/Iraqi Kurdistan has also been imposing
harsh restrictions on the border ofRojava. The KRG, ruled by President Massoud Barzani, is
an ally ofthe US and sees the Rojava self-administration's new model ofautonomy as a threat
to their power in the region. As Dostar elaborates:
"The position ofthe KRG is exactly the same as the Turkish government. It's the same political
perspective. It's not so much Barzani but the party ofBarzani. The ideology here in Rojava is in direct
conflict to ideology ofthe party in Başûr [Başûr means 'south' in Kurmanji Kurdish, referring to the
Kurdish autonomous region within Iraq's borders]. We have different systems and values. This causes
huge problems to the humanitarian issue."
Because the KRG perceives the Rojava SelfAdministration as a threat, vital reconstruction
materials, medicines and medical equipment are prevented from crossing from Iraqi
Kurdistan into Rojava. According to Dostar:
"Sometimes they allow things to come through but it requires a lot ofpolitics on our side. They will not
allow building materials to pass. They allow basic things after a lot ofpolitical pressure from us, but
nothing that will make a positive long-term impact to our reconstruction work."
Absentaid
As we walk around Kobanê city, it's obvious that international organisations are mostly
absent. There are few foreign aid workers and almost no signs ofany ongoing reconstruction
projects. Dostar tells us:
"On 1 July 2015 there was a large conference in Brussels about the reconstruction ofKobanê. A lot of
NGOs and parliamentarians attended and their reaction was supportive and positive in providing aid to
us. But this has not been so in practice. Many NGOs have been here and have made many promises to
remove mines and work on water and sewage, for example, but not much has been delivered. Also, when
major NGOs try to bring over medicines and equipment it's often not allowed to come through. An
individual with a small package can come through, but this has a very small impact. Its the same on
both borders."
the struggle against daesh
It's not only materials, but also people, that Turkey and the KRG are preventing from crossing
into Rojava. Turkey prevents all but a few mainstream NGOs from crossing the border into
Kobanê canton. Everybody else has to cross illegally from Turkey, risking being arrested or
even killed by the Turkish military. Others try to cross legally from Iraqi Kurdistan to Rojava's
Cizîrê canton. However, ifsomeone wants to cross from Iraqi Kurdistan, they must either
have permission from Barzani's office, or they must be carrying a press card. And each
journalist can only ever enter Rojava once. It's too difficult for most grassroots political
delegations to get into Rojava.
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