Duhok commemorates Anfal of Badinan

Nizarke Citadel- Duhok, the place where thousands of people were gatherd during Anfal of Badinan ./GLOBE PHOTO/ShvanGoran

The Kurdish Globe
Shvan Goran-Duhok

About 2000 thousand people are still missing

The 24th anniversary of Badnan's Anfal was held in Nizarke Citadel this month, a place which people of Duhok associate with terrible memories. The Citadel used to be the place were Kurdish citizens of the Duhok province were gathered and tortured by the Baath Regime, before being taken to unknown destinations during the last stage of Anfal campaign, known as "Anfal of Badinian."



The ceremony was held in the presence of Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani and KRG officials. In a speech he gave on the occasion, President Barzani said that to avoid the reoccurrence of this kind of crime, the unity and awareness of Kurds is necessary. "Anfal must not be forgotten, this is not for teaching our people to take revenge, but for teaching us that these actions cannot be repeated." Barzani said.

According to unofficial statistics, more than 50 villages were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to settle in communities near Hawler and Kirkuk, from where some of them were taken. About 2000 thousand people are still missing and their corpses are yet to be brought back to Kurdistan.

Nasrat Mohammad, The General Director of Martyrs and Anfals in Duhok, gave a speech in which he described the crimes committed against the villagers of Badinan. "The Baath regime surrounded the area with around 190 thousand soldiers who were supported by Tanks." He said, "People had to migrate to Turkey so as to be safe but not all could escape and some were taken by the Regime."

At the end of the ceremony, 5 of Anfal's survivors in Badinan were honored by Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, and several cultural activities took place including a photo gallery of 1000 Anfal victims.

Several days earlier in a statement addressed to KRG and The Federal Government, Duhok Anfal Centre demanded that more work was to be done to bring back corpses of Anfal to the area as well as a monument and special cemetery built to compensate the people harmed. "All effort should be made to recognise this crime internationally as genocide against Kurds." The statement says.

24 years ago, between 25th of August and 6th of September 1988, Baath Regime launched its 8th stage of Anfal campaigns in the Badinian area. Many villages were bombarded with chemical weapons and destroyed. Thousands of people migrated to Turkey and settled in the camps of Mush, Diyar, Bakir and Mardin, those who couldn't escape were taken to Nizarke citadel in Duhok. Here they were tortured, killed and many taken to unknown destinations.


Published


Tuesday, 11 September 2012