SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Kurdish leaders on Sunday marked the 37th anniversary of the Anfal campaign, carried out by the former Iraqi regime in 1988, and renewed calls for justice and compensation for the victims of the genocide that claimed over 182,000 Kurdish lives.
President Nechirvan Barzani described the Anfal campaign as one of the most “heinous acts” of genocide in history, saying it left deep wounds on the conscience of the Kurdish people. “The Iraqi Federal Government has a legal and moral obligation to compensate the families of the Anfal victims,” he said, stressing the need to enforce the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court’s ruling that recognized the campaign as genocide and a crime against humanity.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also marked the occasion, noting that the consequences of the brutal campaign are still felt today. He urged Baghdad to take concrete steps in compensating the victims’ families and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting the families of martyrs.
KDP leader Masoud Barzani commemorated the 37th anniversary of the Anfal campaign by condemning it as part of the broader atrocities committed by the former Iraqi regime throughout the last century. He noted that the Anfal operation unfolded in multiple stages across the Kurdistan Region, resulting in the disappearance and martyrdom of 180,000 innocent Kurds. Barzani also highlighted other crimes of the era, including chemical attacks, forced displacement, Arabization, destruction of thousands of villages, and the systematic devastation of Kurdistan’s infrastructure—policies aimed at erasing Kurdish identity and presence.
While the perpetrators of these crimes have faded into history, Barzani said the scars of genocide and injustice remain unhealed. He called on the Iraqi government to take responsibility by compensating the victims and their families and stressed the urgent need to prevent all forms of chauvinistic policies and actions against the Kurdish people. “The most meaningful tribute to the martyrs of Anfal is for all of us to remain united in serving and safeguarding our land and building a brighter future for our people,” he stated.
PUK President Bafel Talabani echoed the calls, calling Anfal “one of the most brutal acts” of the former regime aimed at eradicating the Kurds. He called on both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government to fulfill their responsibilities and said efforts to locate the remains of missing victims are ongoing.
The Anfal campaign, conducted in stages by Saddam Hussein’s regime, targeted rural Kurdish populations with mass executions, forced displacements, and chemical attacks, leaving a legacy of trauma and loss that still resonates throughout the Region.