PM Barzani’s statement on 1991 uprising anniversary

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24 ) – Marking the 32nd anniversary of the Kurdish uprising against the former Iraqi Ba’athist regime, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday said the historic moment was the result of the unity of political forces and other components, according to a statement.

PM Barzani extended his “warmest congratulations” to the people of Kurdistan, the Peshmerga forces, and the families of “martyrs” on this historic occasion. It is recognized as a national holiday across Iraq’s Kurdish region today. 

He also pledged to defend the constitutional rights and achievements of the Kurdish people and continue the reconstruction projects in the Kurdistan Region. 

“The prestigious 1991 uprising was the result of the unity of Kurdistani forces and different components of the Kurdish nation,” Barzani said, adding it was a “turning point” in the history of the Kurdish struggle for independence, the statement added.

Civilians and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the early hours of March 5, 1991, began revolting against the security and administrative offices of the regime for the first time in Ranya city, resulting in the surrender of hundreds of the regime’s soldiers. 

The uprising soon spread into other towns and major cities in the Kurdish region. The Iraqi regime forces had also suffered great casualties as a result of the US-led coalition air campaign in 1991.

The uprising came following a decade of oppression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing campaigns against the nation, including the chemical bombardments of Halabja and Anfal, in which thousands of Kurdish civilians were killed en masse.