'Anfal Campaigns Among Most Brutal Acts of Genocide,' PM Masrour Barzani
Marking the Anfal campaigns, PM Barzani's message stressed the importance of documentation, remembrance, and recognition: “our current achievements were not obtained easily, nor did anyone grant them to us as a favor”, tying past devastation to present governance and renewed calls for redress.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday issued a message marking the anniversary of the Anfal campaigns, describing them as among the most brutal acts of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by the former Iraqi regime against the people of Kurdistan and calling on the federal government to compensate the victims’ families.
In a statement, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the Anfal campaigns resulted in “the disappearance and martyrdom of thousands of innocent people of Kurdistan” and led to the destruction of “thousands of villages and rural areas of Kurdistan,” according to the text of the message.
PM Barzani characterized the campaigns as a defining moment in the modern history of the Kurdistan Region, emphasizing the scale of human loss and material devastation inflicted during the operations. He said the events must remain firmly embedded in collective memory, underscoring their significance for current and future generations.
“The infamous Anfal campaigns were one of the most brutal campaigns of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by the former Iraqi regime against the people of Kurdistan,” PM Barzani said in the statement, adding that the consequences included widespread killings, disappearances, and the systematic destruction of civilian settlements.
The Prime Minister stressed that remembrance of the events is a national responsibility, stating that “these genocides and massacres committed against the people of Kurdistan must always remain in our memory.”
He added that younger generations should be made aware of the sacrifices made during that period, noting that present-day achievements in the Kurdistan Region were not obtained without significant cost.
“Our younger generations must know that our current achievements were not obtained easily, nor did anyone grant them to us as a favor,” PM Barzani said. “Rather, they are the product of the struggle and blood of thousands of proud martyrs of Kurdistan.”
In his message, PM Barzani also addressed the role of the federal Iraqi government, calling for action in line with what he described as both moral and constitutional obligations. He said Baghdad must take steps to compensate the families and relatives of those affected by the Anfal campaigns.
“On this anniversary, we emphasize that the Iraqi government must fulfill its moral and constitutional responsibility and appropriately compensate the families and relatives of those martyrs and Anfal victims of Kurdistan,” he said.
The call for compensation mechanisms aligns with longstanding demands by Kurdish authorities and victims’ families for recognition and redress.
PM Barzani concluded his message by paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the Anfal campaigns, marking what he described as the thirty-eighth anniversary of the events. He extended a salute to “the pure souls of the Anfal victims and all the martyrs of Kurdistan,” according to the statement.
The Anfal campaigns remain a central reference point in official commemorations within the Kurdistan Region, with annual observances highlighting the scale of the atrocities and their lasting impact on Kurdish society.
Officials in the Kurdistan Region have consistently emphasized the importance of documentation, remembrance, and recognition of the events associated with Anfal. The campaigns are widely referenced in official discourse as a period marked by large-scale human rights violations and widespread destruction affecting Kurdish-populated areas.