President Barzani's Message on the 37th Anniversary of the Anfal Genocide

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Anfal Campaign was part of the crimes and atrocities committed against our people in the last century by the former Iraqi regime. These inhumane operations, carried out in stages and spanning all regions of Kurdistan, resulted in the martyrdom and disappearance of more than 180,000 innocent Kurdish citizens. Concurrently, chemical weapons bombing, the Arabization policy, forced displacement, the destruction of Kurdistan's economic infrastructure, and the devastation of thousands of villages were just another aspect of the crimes committed by the former Iraqi regime against our people over the past century.

The perpetrators have ended up in the dustbin of history, but the wounds and tragedies of genocide and injustice remain deep and have not yet healed. The Iraqi state must fulfill its duty to compensate for the Anfal crime and genocide committed against our people. All chauvinistic mentalities, policies, and practices against the people of Kurdistan must be prevented.

On the 37th anniversary of this painful tragedy, the truest tribute to the Anfal martyrs is for us all to unite, to serve and protect our homeland, and together build a bright future for our people.

Glory to the families and relatives of the martyrs and the Anfal, and thousands of tributes to the souls of the Anfal martyrs and all the martyrs of the path to freedom in Kurdistan.

Masoud Barzani

April 14, 2025