A group of families of the Anfal genocide victims recently visited the deserts of Tal Sheikhiyan in Samawah, southern Iraq, where many of their loved ones were buried in mass graves.

They gathered at these sites to honor the victims and called on both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Iraqi Federal Government to return the remains to Kurdistan.

Purpose of the Visit

The families explained that their journey to Samawah was meant to ensure that the Kurdish genocide is not forgotten. They urged universities in Kurdistan to organize student trips to these mass graves so that the younger generation can learn about the suffering endured by their people.

Their Demands

The families requested that the mass graves uncovered last year in Samawah, currently under examination by Baghdad’s forensic authorities, be transferred back to Kurdistan for proper reburial and memorialization.