Press release: Foreign Office minister comments on Anfal Memorial Day

On the 29th anniversary of the Anfal, Saddam Hussein’s brutal campaign against the Kurdish people in Iraq, our thoughts remain with the victims, their families and those who lost loved ones.

Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis were slaughtered and thousands more were maimed and expelled from their homes. That this campaign was conceived, sanctioned and executed by a state against its own people is beyond comprehension and is a stark warning of what happens when evil is left unchecked.

Iraq’s people are now forced to confront a new evil, in the form of Daesh and I pay tribute to their bravery and sacrifice as they move closer to defeating Daesh militarily.

The UK continues to support the people of Iraq in building a better future and Iraq must ensure that their new chapter is one where all of Iraq’s communities have a stake in a more stable and prosperous Iraq.