On his land on the outskirts of Samarra, a city in northern Iraq, Khaled Ibrahim dreamed of building a house. But then it would be cut off from the rest of the metropolis, still today surrounded by a concrete wall, which would slow down urban development.
The wall was built more than a decade ago at the height of the civil war that tore apart multi-sectarian and multi-ethnic Iraq. It is intended to ensure the security of the city, which in particular is home to the Shiite mausoleum of the two imams Ali al-Hadi and his son Hassan al-Askari.
In the predominantly Sunni province of Salaheddine, the mausoleum was the victim of an attack in 2006, leading to an outbreak of sectarian violence that killed tens of thousands of people in the country. In 2007, a second attack destroyed the two minarets of this architectural gem.
If Iraq has regained some semblance of stability, the Samarra Wall bears witness to one of the bloodiest pages in Iraqi history. Even if, according to the authorities, it still serves to prevent a persistent jihadist threat.
But the wall is suffocating everyday life in a city whose population has increased from 300,000 to 400,000 since 2008.
“It is a nightmare, worse than prison,” claims Mr. Ibrahim, a 52-year-old day laborer.
The fifty-year-old rents accommodation in the city for around $180 – a small fortune for him and his two sons, who are day laborers.
The property is currently not buildable: it borders directly on the surrounding wall.
“The security forces don’t allow us to approach the wall,” he complains. “And then there are no services, no water and no electricity. Building beyond the wall is like living in exile.”
“terrorist attack”
Despite the political instability that has sporadically rocked Iraq, the walls in Baghdad are coming down and authorities are removing the T-wall, tall concrete blocks commonly used to block certain roads and protect public buildings and embassies.
In Samarra, 110 km north of the capital, the T-walls of the surrounding wall are still there. On the city side, small unfinished concrete block houses. On the other side of the wall, empty lots as far as the eye can see.
Currently, only three entrances, strictly controlled by security barriers, provide access to Samarra, once the capital of the Abbasid Empire in the 9th century and home to UNESCO World Heritage treasures.
Aware of the complications, local authorities intend to expand the perimeter of the surrounding wall by several kilometers – between three and seven – and modernize it: it will be equipped with six entrances, watchtowers and surveillance cameras.
“We would have liked to have it removed, but there are commitments and security plans that require its maintenance,” Salaheddine deputy governor Riyad al-Tayyas told AFP, assuring that expansion work should begin “within a month.”
He remembers that the fencing was built after the attack on the mausoleum in 2006 “to protect the city and its residents from terrorist attacks by the then al-Qaeda.”
It is important to maintain it in order to “avoid a repeat of the catastrophe of 2006, which led to a sectarian war,” he warns.
“Real estate is burning”
However, the official admits that the wall “strangles” entrances and exits and hinders “city expansion.”
Building outside the wall is “not forbidden,” he said. But the residents abstain “out of fear that the fence will not be maintained and they will be cut off from the rest of the city.”
Not to mention the jihadist threat. “Although the security situation has improved, there are still sleeper cells of the Islamic State (IS) group,” Tayyas warned.
A UN report published in the summer of 2023 acknowledged that ISIS “remained present in its strongholds around Salaheddine, north of Baghdad (Tarmiyé), in Diyala and in Kirkuk” – while also showing a decline in the “frequency of attacks in urban centers ” notice .
“In Samarra, within the city, the security situation is excellent,” said Laith Ibrahim, a 64-year-old pensioner. “Outside, no, it’s exposed,” he adds.
He also advocates widening the perimeter of the wall. “There is a shortage of land and housing, and real estate prices are rising day by day.”