Sulaymaniyah villagers protest as heavy machinery moves into orchards for investment project

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Residents of the village of Kansura in Sulaymaniyah staged a protest on Thursday after security forces and heavy construction equipment were deployed onto agricultural land in the city center under an investment project, without prior notice, villagers said. Demonstrators said the machinery advanced into fields, orchards and homes in the area. Villager Ribaz Ali said the land belongs to them and their ancestors and is covered by property deeds. He said residents are not opposed to investment but want the process carried out in accordance with the law and their rights protected. According to Ali, the Kurdistan Region's investment law requires that owners of land allocated for investment projects receive compensation. Ali said the affected area includes more than 30 houses, numerous fruit orchards and over 200 dunums of farmland, warning that residents' livelihoods would be lost if the project proceeds. Protesters demanded that the Kurdistan Regional Government reverse the decision and pursue the matter through compensation and dialogue. Similar incidents have been reported in other parts of Sulaymaniyah in recent years, reviving debate over how to balance investment incentives with property rights in the Kurdistan Region. No further details were immediately available.