(MENAFN- The Peninsula) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday warned that Iraqi security forces must not intervene in a political crisis sparked by the appointment of a new prime minister.
"It is imperative that the security forces refrain from intervening in the political process," Ban told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
Ban, along with the US and Iran, have welcomed the appointment of Haidar Al Abadi as the new prime minister and urged him to form a broad-based government.
Al Abadi is to replace Nouri Al Maliki, who was sidelined amid an offensive by jihadist fighters who now control vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Al Maliki earlier called on the armed forces to stay out of politics in remarks seen as a signal that he would not seek to tap into support from the military to cling to power.
Ban noted that gains made by Islamic State (IS) fighters were in part rooted in the "lack of inclusiveness" of the Shia-dominated Maliki government, which helped spur the jihadists.
He said he was "profoundly dismayed" by the "barbaric acts" being carried out by IS fighters, including summary executions, boys recruited to fight and girls abducted or trafficked as slaves.
He called on world governments to step up a relief effort to rescue thousands of Yazidis targeted by the jihadists, who have fled to Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq.
The UN Security Council is working on a draft resolution to chock off the flow of foreign fighters and financial support to jihadists in Iraq and Syria.
The measure, expected to come up for a vote later this week, would threaten sanctions on groups and individuals who support IS and Al Nusrah Front in Syria.
Meanwhile, thousands of members of minority groups in north Iraq, including Yazidis and Christians, faced a major threat from militants and a worsening humanitarian situation.
The UN said 20,000 to 30,000 people were still stranded on a mountain after fleeing the fighters. A helicopter carrying aid to people crashed during take-off in the north, killing a pilot and injuring Yazidi MP Vian Dakhil, who has worked to bring attention to the plight of besieged members of her community.
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