Erbil, Kurdistan Region – In a solemn message marking the 42nd anniversary of the Barzani Anfal, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President and former President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani paid tribute to the thousands of Barzani clansmen who were systematically executed by Saddam Hussein’s regime in one of the darkest chapters of Kurdish history.

On this day in 1983, the former Iraqi government forcibly disappeared and later executed approximately 8,000 men and boys from the Barzani tribe, ranging in age from nine to ninety, in the deserts of southern Iraq. The massacre was part of a broader campaign of repression against the Kurdish people, including the disappearance of 12,000 Fayli Kurds, the Anfal operations in Germiyan and Badinan, and the chemical attacks on Halabja and other Kurdish towns.

President Barzani condemned the "chauvinist and denialist mentality" that fueled such atrocities, warning that Iraq will never achieve stability as long as such ideologies persist. "Those who do not learn from history repeat its mistakes," he stated, urging national reflection on the crimes of the past.

He expressed deep gratitude to the people of the Erbil Plain, Harir, and Soran for their solidarity with the Barzanis during the tragedy. He also honored the resilience of the victims' families, particularly the Barzani women who endured decades of grief and uncertainty.

"Today, we remember the souls of the Barzani Anfal martyrs, all Anfal victims, and every martyr who sacrificed for Kurdistan’s freedom," Barzani said, reaffirming the Kurdish commitment to justice and historical memory.

The Anfal campaigns (1986–1989) remain a painful legacy for Kurds, with mass graves still being uncovered years later. The Kurdistan Regional Government continues to seek international recognition of these acts as genocide.