Nechirvan Barzani Marks 43rd Anniversary of Barzani Anfal
At a Glance
- Barzani Anfal began on July 30, 1983.
- Roughly 8,000 civilian males shot and buried in mass graves.
- Nechirvan Barzani Marks 43 years since Barzani Anfal.
- Pays tribute to the victims.
- Calls for compensation for families.
- Urges lasting peace and coexistence.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the Barzani Anfal campaign, describing it as a crime of genocide against thousands of civilian Barzani boys, youths, and men.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- "We bow our heads in respect and reverence before the pure souls of the martyrs."
- Barzani praised the resilience of Barzani mothers and wives after the campaign.
- He called on the Iraqi government to compensate Anfal victims' families.
- He urged that the suffering of the past become "a lesson for the future" and a basis for mutual acceptance and peace.
Tribute to the Victims
In a statement marking the anniversary, Nechirvan Barzani said 43 years have passed since the genocide and Anfal campaign against approximately 8,000 Barzani civilians.
He said the victims would be remembered "with dignity" and paid tribute to their memory.
Barzani said that after the campaign, Barzani mothers and wives carried a heavy burden.
He praised their resilience, saying they raised their children despite hardship and helped preserve the future of Kurdistan.
"I kiss the hands of each and every one of those tired and kind mothers," he said.
Call for Compensation
The Kurdistan Region President said the Barzani genocide and all Anfal campaigns remain deep wounds for the Kurdish people.
He renewed calls for the Iraqi government to fulfill what he described as its moral and legal duty to compensate the families of Anfal victims and all victims of the former regime.
Barzani said the suffering and tragedies of the past should become a lesson for the future.
He called for strengthening a culture of mutual acceptance, understanding, and harmony so that all components of Iraq can live together with dignity and pride.
He also expressed appreciation to the people of Erbil and surrounding areas who helped displaced Barzani families during that period.
FYI
The Barzani genocide began on July 30, 1983, when Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime targeted the Barzani tribe by forcefully abducting roughly 8,000 civilian males, ranging from young boys to elderly men, from resettlement camps like Qushtapa.
This brutal operation served as a direct precursor to the broader Anfal Genocide (1986–1989), as the victims were transported to southern deserts near the Iraq-Saudi border, where they were systematically executed and buried in mass graves.
Decades later, the tragedy received formal legal acknowledgment when the Iraqi High Tribunal officially recognized the atrocities as an act of genocide in 2011.
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