Message from the President Jalal Talabani Foundation Following the Discovery of a New Mass Grave in the Samawah Desert

The wounds inflicted by the oppressive and brutal crimes of the fallen Ba'athist regime against the civilian population of Kurdistan remain unhealed.

From time to time, new mass graves under the name "Anfal" are discovered. Thousands of women, children, the elderly, and young men were forcibly taken from their homes in Kurdistan to the deserts of southern Iraq, where many were buried alive.

On Sunday, December 22, 2024, a new mass grave was uncovered in the Samawah Desert, containing the remains of 150 Kurdish women and children. The remains bear gunshot marks, indicating they were executed en masse before being buried, over 40 years ago.
The mass grave is located in the Tal Al-Sheikh area within the Salman district, about 130 kilometers from the city of Samawah.
The grave was first identified through satellite imagery last May, and it was officially opened on Sunday.
The President Jalal Talabani Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the families of all Anfal victims in Kurdistan. We will never forget the scale of this atrocity.

We also praise the efforts of Ms. Shahnaz Ibrahim, Iraq’s First Lady and a member of the Political Bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, for her continuous work with specialized entities in uncovering and documenting mass graves.
The Anfal campaign was carried out in multiple stages by the Ba'athist government, resulting in the deaths of over 182,000 Kurdish citizens.

It is imperative to recognize the Anfal crimes as an act of genocide on an international level.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, in a post on the X platform, emphasized, "The discovery of a new mass grave of Kurdish victims brings back memories of the bloodshed, struggle, suffering, and disappearance endured by our people under the brutality of the racist regime."

In this context, the President Jalal Talabani Foundation calls on the Iraqi government to provide material and moral compensation to the victims' families, deliver the best services to the families of Anfal victims, and ensure a dignified life that honors their sacrifices. Achieving justice for the victims' families and acknowledging their pain is the greatest tribute to the martyrs and a step toward healing their wounds.
Peace be upon the souls of all Kurdistan martyrs, and honor to their families.