Kurdistan Regional Government
Representation in Italy
Today, Thursday, March 14, in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, President Masoud Barzani officially opened the commemoration ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the Halabja massacre, attended by numerous international guests and political and academic figures.
The ceremony began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the genocide. The national anthem of the Federal Republic of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region followed.
Minister of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs Sabah Ahmed Mohamed (Mamosta Aram) opened the ceremony by greeting the guests and thanking them for their presence.
The Minister, emphasizing the purpose of this ceremony, explained how the Kurdistan Regional Government is committed internationally, with the support of numerous organizations, to the process of recognizing the genocide of the Kurdish people. This violence was perpetrated by Saddam Hussein's regime, culminating in the "Anfal Operation," which destroyed 1,200 villages, and the chemical bombing of the city of Halabja in March 1988.
The importance of recognizing the genocide of the Kurdish people, the Minister emphasized, is crucial to ensuring such atrocities are never repeated.
President Masoud Barzani, greeting the guests, explained how the first phase of Operation Anfal aimed to eliminate 12,000 Faili Kurds and 8,000 members of the Barzani tribe; the second phase aimed to eliminate 182,000 Kurds from the Garmian area, an operation that concluded with the chemical attack in the town of Halabja. Operation Anfal, he explained, was not a simple military operation, but a campaign aimed at annihilating the Kurdish people as a whole, including their cultural and social aspects. Responsibility for these actions lies not with the Iraqi people, but with the dictatorial governments that have governed the country for years. The current government of the Federal Republic of Iraq must compensate the Kurdish population and the families of the victims of Operation Anfal. The President also expressed pride in representing a people who also know how to forgive, as demonstrated by the fact that there have been no retaliations against the Iraqi army.
In his message to the international community, Masoud Barzani called for the cooperation of governments around the world, and of "Kurdish friends," to ensure international recognition of the genocide of this people. In this regard, he thanked all those who have already dedicated themselves to this cause.
Concluding his message to the Kurdish people, the President urged them not to forget the victims; rather, the best way to honor them is to contribute to the creation of a peaceful Kurdistan with respect for human rights.
Among those speaking were the Iraqi Federal Government's Minister of Human Rights, Mohamed Shayae Al Sudani; the Consul of the Republic of Turkey, Aidan Saljan, who read a message from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; and Bernard Kouchner, former French Foreign Minister.
At the end of the ceremony, in addition to documentaries on the Halabja massacre and Operation Anfal, paintings and works by various national and international artists were displayed.