Protecting Iraq’s “mosaic” of minorities is “part of our humanity”.

That’s according to Adama Dieng, the UN Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, who has just returned from visiting those parts of Iraq where minorities are most at risk from violence, and even extinction.

He’s especially concerned that the methodical atrocities carried out by ISIL, or Daesh, against minorities such as the Yazidis in northern Iraq, are accounted for under international law, with the support of the Iraqi government.

The main Yazidi town of Sinjar, which was over-run in August 2014, was recaptured just last week by mainly Kurdish forces, and a mass-grave containing the remains of around 80 older women was among the grim discoveries.

Matthew Wells spoke to Mr Dieng about what he’d seen.

Duration: 5'07"