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Families of Anfal victims disrupt anniversary over lack of services

PM:03:45:14/04/2022

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SULAIMNAI—Families of Anfal victims in the Garmiyan administration of Sulaiamni province have disrupted an official event commemorating the tragedy over lack of services and unfulfilled promises.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) organized its annual event on Anfal's 34th anniversary in Chamchamal today (14 April); however, people disrupted the official event preventing the KRG's minister of Martyr and Anfal Affairs, Abdulla Mahmoud, from speaking.

Protestors mobbed the minister and prevented him from leaving to complain about the lack of essential services, increasing taxes, and unfulfilled promises from the authorities over the years. 

Protestors also complained that the KRG has failed to bring back the remains of the Anfal victims to their families.

One of the protestors told NRT that KRG officials have been giving promises for decades without fulfilling them.

The minister had promised to return the remains of 170 Anfal victims before today's anniversary- something that did not materialize.

Anfal (the Spoils) is the name of a genocide campaign carried out by the former Baa'th regime in the 1980s, during which tens of thousands of Kurds were killed in chemical attacks and mass executions and tens of villages were destroyed.

 According to The Martyrs, Genocide and Political Prisoners Committee, Anfal comping in Garmian killed 182,000 citizens and destroyed 500 villages and four sub-districts.

Human Rights Watch says up to 100,000 mostly civilians died in the campaign. KRG says more than 180,000 people were killed.

(NRT Digital Media)