Effects still linger
35 years on from forced displacement in Pshdar, Qaladze
PSHDAR — Today marks the 35th anniversary of the forced displacement of residents from the Pshdar and Qaladze areas in Sulaymaniyah Governorate. On June 26, 1989, the Baath regime’s campaign left the towns nearly deserted, with few structures left standing. The upheaval unfolded amid wider regional conflicts and was emblematic of the regime’s broader policy against dissidence.
Following the 1989 displacement, the area remained largely desolate until the Kurdish uprising in the spring of 1991. The insurrection, which began in Ranya on March 5, quickly spread across the region, reaching its zenith in Kirkuk on March 20. Although the uprising was eventually suppressed, it set the stage for the creation of the autonomous Kurdistan Region.
Today, the effects of the displacement are still visible in Pshdar, where many businesses and markets have not been restored. Culturally, Qaladze has also suffered; many of its intellectuals and cultural leaders have not returned, opting instead to resettle in cities like Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
In 2011, the Iraqi High Criminal Court, after evaluating evidence from 110 witnesses and 44 testimonies, deemed the displacement in Pshdar a continuation of the Anfal campaign—a systematic attempt by the Ba’athist regime to eradicate Kurdish rebels and enforce Arabization, particularly in strategic areas like Kirkuk Governorate. Despite this ruling, the displacement has not been officially recognized as genocide, and the victims from Pshdar have yet to receive compensation.
The legacy of violence in Qaladze dates back even further. On April 24, 1974, the city was subjected to a devastating bombing by the Ba’ath regime, which resulted in over 400 casualties. This attack coincided with the relocation of the University of Sulaymaniyah to Qaladze, which was then a center of anti-government sentiment.
Qaladze, located within the Kurdistan Region, serves as the administrative center of Pshdar district. This district, comprising the sub-districts of Sangasar, Zharawa, Hero, Halsho, and Easewa, includes around 400 villages.
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