‘Build peace’

Manama : Backing up military victories with reconstruction and reconciliation efforts are the only way to prevent sectarian conflicts, said Federal Minister of Defence of Germany Ursula von der Leyen.

“Cities freed from ISIS in Iraq are still vulnerable to conflicts,” pointed out the German Minister, stressing that reconstruction and reconciliation efforts are necessary to bring back normality. 

“We need to ensure that electricity and water is back. They have to see that their immediate daily life has improved after they are freed from ISIS,” she said 

This, according to the minister, will ensure that the atmosphere is not of hatred and revenge but that of reconciliation.

However, she also pointed out that the most important thing is fighting poverty, which “is easy to say and hard to do.” 

‘Iraq is better off as one’

The Kurds have fought brilliantly for their homeland, said Leyen stressing that the “future will be a better one if Iraq stays together”. 

“If there are discussions about forms of decentralization, it has to be a fair one. It would not make sense if after defeating ISIS, Sunni, Shia, Kurds and others fight against each other,” she said.

Refugee crisis

The German Defence minister voiced that the current refugee crisis, if not solved, will affect the Gulf region in a similar way it has affected Europe. 

“Globalization not only means prosperity but it also means social division,” she said adding that conflicts and crisis are being globalized too. 

“We experienced this with the refugee crisis in Europe. We cannot think that this region is far away, this region is in the neighbourhood.” she said. 

According to her, many groups with anti immigration views have sprung up in the west in reaction to these
issues.  “Such views are too simplistic. 

“Some want to hear simple answers to these very complex questions. These simple answers are to have a nationalistic attitude and to try to close up. These are wrong answers in my eyes because this type of reaction is often accompanied by Islamophobia and racism.” 

‘Stand united’

She also urged that everyone who stand for peace must work together. 

“Those who want peace must stand together against those who use aggression, exclusion and radicalization,” she said.