Canada marks 41st anniversary of Barzanis' genocide, reaffirms commitment to peace
The statement further underscored Canada's ongoing commitment to promoting peace and stability in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region, as a means to prevent such horrors in the future.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - On Wednesday, the Canadian Consulate in Erbil expressed its condolences and solidarity on the 41st anniversary of the Anfal campaign, a tragic chapter in Kurdish history.
The consulate’s statement, shared via the social platform X, honored the memory of the victims and condemned the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein's regime.
Today marks 41 years since the #Anfal campaign by Saddam’s regime against the Barzanis, which killed thousands of innocent men, women and children. Canada reaffirms its commitment to maintain #peace and #stability in #Iraq including #Kurdistan to prevent such future atrocities.
— Canada in Erbil (@CanadainErbil) July 31, 2024
In 1980, additional Barzanis were resettled in the Qushtapa forced labor camp and faced extermination in both the Quds and Qadsiya camps.
Official documents from the Ba'ath regime reveal that, in late July and early August 1983, a large, top-secret operation was carried out by the Erbil Security Office, emergency regiments, and Republican Guard forces.
They surrounded the forced communities where the Barzanis lived and arrested them in three phases:
1. First Phase: July 31, 1983 - Barzanis living in Qushtapa were gathered into the Quds and Qadsiya forced labor camps around Erbil province.
2. Second Phase: August 10, 1983 - Barzanis residing in the villages of Harir, Diyana, Bahirka, and Mergasur were rounded up.
3. Third Phase: October 1, 1983 - Camps were searched intensively from house to house, arresting those who had previously escaped.
An official letter dated March 29, 1989, further confirms these events. The letter, sent to the Secretary of the Presidency, states that on the morning of August 1, 1983, at the request of the Director of General Security, Dr. Fadel al-Brak, Republican Guard soldiers surrounded the Quds and Qadsiya camps in Qushtapa. They seized all Barzani men aged 15 and older, who were then transported to Baghdad in trucks.
The campaign targeted the Kurdish population, particularly the Barzani clan, resulting in the systematic extermination of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
Canada’s affirmation of support reflects a broader commitment to addressing and preventing genocide and atrocities worldwide, reinforcing its role as an advocate for human rights and international justice.