On 37th anniversary of the massacre: KCK calls for preventing new Anfal

The KCK's statement read," Today, we commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Anfal crime—a grave crime against humanity perpetrated by the defunct regime of Saddam Hussein against our people in Southern Kurdistan. These campaigns led to the martyrdom and disappearance of approximately 182,000 Kurdish civilians, the majority of whom were women and children. Anfal was not only a campaign of genocide against a people, but also an act of feminicide and ecocide. Vast regions of Southern Kurdistan—natural habitats, villages, and rural areas—were devastated to the extent that they became uninhabitable.

We vehemently condemn the former Ba'athist regime and the mentality and policies that underpinned this genocide, feminicide, and environmental destruction. We honor the memory of those who lost their lives and extend our deepest condolences to the Kurdish people, especially the families and relatives of the victims.

The Anfal campaigns are one example of the many genocidal assaults carried out against the Kurdish people in modern history. The ideology and policy of denying Kurdish existence and freedom have repeatedly manifested in massacres and campaigns of extermination—Anfal among them—whenever the opportunity arose.

The underlying causes of such genocidal operations are deeply rooted in the interests of capitalist modernity, as shaped by the Treaty of Lausanne a century ago, and in the rise of reactionary, gender-oppressive, chauvinistic, religiously fanatical, and fascist figures and regimes in the region, who act as local proxies for global powers.

Consequently, since Lausanne, genocidal crimes have been committed against the Kurdish people across all four parts of Kurdistan—from the Dersim and Zilan massacres to Halabja, Anfal, the Shengal genocide, the Amuda Cinema fire, and most recently, the massacre in the village of Birkê Bûtan in Rojava.

Despite these tragedies, the Kurdish people have waged a heroic struggle against the genocidal mentality and policies rooted in Lausanne, steadfastly defending their existence and aspiration for a free life through great sacrifices. As the region is once again undergoing a historical reconfiguration, new conspiracies and strategies are emerging from regional powers aiming to suppress the existence and freedom of the Kurdish people.

At this critical historical juncture, Leader Abdullah Ocalan has issued his 'Call of the Century'—for peace and a democratic society—outlined in the "Declaration of the Century," which offers a strategic roadmap for preventing future genocides such as Anfal, Halabja, and Sinjar, as well as the destruction of nature and the targeting of women. By embracing this call, it is possible to prevent new Anfal and ensure a just and democratic future for all."

a.k

ANHA