Peshmerga unification needs political commitment for a stable future: Dutch military advisor

“When the parties are not aligned, and they are not willing to cooperate, then it's also really difficult to have a unified Peshmerga.”

Dutch military advisor Col. Hans Vroegh with Peshmerga forces (photo: private)
Dutch military advisor Col. Hans Vroegh with Peshmerga forces (photo: private)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The outgoing Col. Hans Vroegh, a senior Dutch military adviser and member of the Multinational Advisor Group (MNAG) told Kurdistan 24 in an interview that Peshmerga reform needs political commitment from the ruling parties.

The Netherlands, the US, the UK, and Germany, all members of MNAG, support the unification of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) Units 80 and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Units 70 under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga (MOP). The Peshmerga reform project is also supported by the US-led coalition. 

Read More: Dutch-Kurdish cooperation is excellent: Dutch Consul General

Last year, Dutch Consul General Jaco Beerends told Kurdistan 24 that the process is hampered due to tensions between the two ruling Kurdish political parties, PUK and KDP.

Col. Hans Vroegh received a parting gift depicting a Peshmerga in his natural environment overseeing a huge (political) gap (Photo: Col. Hans Vroegh).
Col. Hans Vroegh received a parting gift depicting a Peshmerga in his natural environment overseeing a huge (political) gap (Photo: Col. Hans Vroegh).

Col. Hans Vroegh underscored the cooperation between the Kurdish parties on Peshmerga reform at the lower levels. Moreover, he said Kurdish leaders “all say that they support Peshmerga reforms, but we will have to see how that will develop in the future.”

“What does this mean for the 70 forces in total, and what does it mean for the 80 forces is difficult to predict. But, one of the main aims of Peshmerga reform is unification, because unification contributes to a stable and safe environment in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.”

Political commitment

For unification to work, there must be a “political commitment and political cooperation from the parties.” If the parties are not aligned, and they are not willing to cooperate, then it's also really difficult to have a unified Peshmerga (..).”

Distrust is one of the main issues between the political parties, he added. “That doesn’t help reform. There needs to be a lot done on trust building, a big part of Peshmerga reform.”

In order to build trust, he continued, politicians must be aligned and cooperate in favour of Peshmerga reform.

Support for unification

“One good thing I have noticed is that everyone is supportive of Peshmerga reform” and recognizes the necessity for reform in order for the KRG to remain a secure and safe environment. “The political disputes are disturbing the process,” he added. “So that’s not easy. “

Until now there are 25 Regional Guard Brigades (RGBs) that fall under the Ministry of Peshmerga, he said. In 2014, there were a total of 14 unified brigades.

Dutch military advisor Col. Hans Vroegh with Peshmerga forces (photo: private)
Dutch military advisor Col. Hans Vroegh with Peshmerga forces (photo: private)

Read More: 40 to 50 percent of Peshmerga forces united under Ministry of Peshmerga: senior advisor

Last year, on Sept. 20, the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the KRG to continue to support Peshmerga forces, including a mandate of 28 projects from the MNAG linked to Peshmerga reform.

He added that during his six months of service, there has been some progress.

“But if you look back from a historical perspective, then you see substantial progress. We have now reorganized the Ministry of Peshmerga. There are RGBs under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga, and there is a force command, organized under the Ministry of Peshmerga.”

“The Coalition is working on logistical hubs for the Ministry of Peshmerga and now the coalition supports a force structure with divisional headquarters with a very clear command and control within the Ministry of Peshmerga, and we're focusing on financial reform.”

Until now the Ministry of Peshmerga has two divisional headquarters. “The next step, this year, will be to create four divisional headquarters.”

“There is still a lot to be done. We have four years within the MoU to implement Peshmerga reform within the Ministry of Peshmerga.”

Budget

Due to the KRGs financial reform program in the Ministry of Peshmerga, many of the Peshmerga forces will be paid digitally.

One problem is that the Ministry of Peshmerga (MOPA) doesn’t have their own sovereign budget. Baghdad has refused to pay the Peshmerga Ministry under the Iraqi budget, which has remained a point of dispute between Baghdad and Erbil.

He said the Ministry of Peshmerga needs a “stable budget” they can count on, and sufficient amount to pay for salaries, development, equipment, infrastructure, and other expenses. “There needs to be a healthy discussion in the Kurdistan region to give proper funding to the ministry of Peshmerga,” he said.

He added that the KRG aims to have 125,000 Peshmerga forces in the future.

“I know it's related to the (Iraqi) constitution and the Ministry of Peshmerga is dependent on the budget, but I think there needs to be a solution. It is incomprehensible that the Ministry of Peshmerga does not have an adequate budget. In every discussion we have, they say they don’t have enough money, while there is enough money in the (Kurdistan) region.”

Col Hans Vroegh said he felt very welcome during his short stay of six months in the Kurdistan Region. “I felt very welcome, everyone was kind and supportive, the hospitality and  the kindness of people overwhelmed me. I really liked my stay over here,” he added.

He also said he had fruitful discussions with Peshmerga officials during his stay, with some becoming friends. “I really enjoyed my stay and I will always be an ambassador for the Kurdish issue.”

However, he hoped that the Kurdish politicians understand that they have ‘gold’ in their hands with the level of autonomy in the Kurdistan Region and that they have to reorganize the Peshmerga forces.

“What we see lately are a lot of political disputes,” he said. “We can see the coalition has put a lot of effort to get people close together, and I think there are many factors inside and outside of the Kurdistan region that influence this. But to develop a society, there is a limited amount of time.”

“There are outside factors, such as the neighbors, and huge challenges such as the climate, water shortages, and energy transition. There are a lot of challenges, but people have to realize this, and not argue with each other.”