ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday inaugurated the third and fourth infantry divisions of the Peshmerga forces under the Peshmerga ministry as a part of an ongoing unification process.
“We are very pleased that today as part of another step in the reform process and reunification the Peshmerga will commence their duties under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG],” Barzani said in a speech.
On Thursday, Abdulkhaliq Babiri, undersecretary of the Peshmerga ministry, told Rudaw that the unification process of the Peshmerga forces could be completed before 2026.
“The Peshmerga heroically fought a heavy battle alongside the international coalition against ISIS [Islamic State] and proved to the world that it is not only a force to defend Kurdistan, to protect the peaceful coexistence of all communities in Kurdistan, but also a shield to protect humanity from this common threat,” Barzani stated.
When ISIS seized swathes of Iraqi land in 2014, Peshmerga played a key role in driving the extremist group out of the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, especially Kirkuk. The US-led global coalition provided Peshmerga and Iraqi forces with military assistance to defeat ISIS territorially, which was completed in 2017.
The US has provided the Peshmerga with several rounds of military aid over the years.
“Our friends in the international coalition… have participated in establishing the necessary principles for the integration of the Peshmerga under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs,” Barzani said, calling the Peshmerga a “professional and transparent force.”
Barzani called on the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), to cooperate and help ensure the success of the Peshmerga reform and reunification process.
President Barzani is a deputy leader of the KDP.
Despite efforts by Washington and several European countries, the Peshmerga remains a highly partisan force in organization and loyalty, split between the two ruling parties.
Unit 70 forces are affiliated with the PUK and Unit 80 forces are controlled by the KDP. These two units make up the majority of the Peshmerga forces, amounting to over 100,000 troops.
Unification of the Peshmerga forces has been on the agenda of the KRG for several years, and while some progress has been made and a number of brigades controlled by the PUK and the KDP have been added to the ministry, much work remains to be done.
The two parties are currently in ongoing government formation negotiations to form the next KRG cabinet.
