PM Barzani offers condolences on death of Yezidi official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday offered his condolences on the passing of well-known Yezidi (Ezidi) figure Sheikh Shamo Sheikho Namo, who died due to COVID-19 complications at a Turkish hospital.

Sheikh Shamo, the head of the Lalish Cultural Center's High Commission and an advisor of the prime minister on Ezidi affairs, caught the coronavirus about three weeks ago. As his health gradually deteriorated, he was taken to Ankara for treatment.

The premier offered his "sincere condolences" to the family and friends of Sheikh Shamo, praising him for his services to the people of Kurdistan and noting his staunch defense of Ezidi rights and promoting peaceful coexistence in the region.

Sheikh Shamo was among the leading Ezidi figures who voiced support for the Sinjar (Shingal) Agreement between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The deal aims to clear Shingal of militias and clear a path for the safe return of displaced members of the community to their homes in the disputed area.