Banners were gathering rapidly during the week in advance of a referendum on independence in the Kurdish north of Iraq due to take place on Monday. Defying overwhelming opposition outside Kurdistan, large numbers of Kurds see the ballot as a historic step in a decades-long struggle for self determination. Sectarianism has spiked in Baghdad and Erbil in recent days, with grievances that had been shielded in recent months now on naked display. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Young Kurds show off their referendum T-shirts at a rally in Shanadar Park, Erbil, Iraq, on 16 September. A best-case scenario would have been a form of confederalism, or even independence, international observers say.

Source: The Guardian September 23, 2017 19:30 UTC