Anthony Avice Du Buisson is a South African-Australian conflict analyst, researcher, and freelance writer specializing in Middle Eastern security and humanitarian issues. He is particularly interested in the Levant, specifically Syria, Turkiye, and Iraq, with a specialist focus on Kurdish affairs. He also concentrates on the United States Central Command’s (CENTCOM) CJTF-OIR mission against ISIS and the securitization and stabilization initiatives in support of that mission. He recently sat down with Kurdistan Chronicle for an exclusive interview.
Born in South Africa in 1996, Du Buisson immigrated to Australia in 2009 before moving to the United States in 2024, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in Global Governance, Politics, and Security from American University’s School of International Service in Washington, D.C. His educational background is in law and international relations, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from James Cook University.
Discovering the Kurdish cause
When asked about his initial interest in Kurdish issues, Du Buisson shared a memorable anecdote from his teenage years in Busselton, Western Australia. “In 2010, I was waiting for a haircut and picked up a copy of National Geographic that featured a Kurdish peshmerga fighter on the cover. The issue was from 1993, and the title read, ‘The Struggle of the Kurds.’ That cover image stayed with me,” he recalled.
The accompanying article, written by Christopher Hitchens, described the Kurdish struggle against Saddam Hussein’s regime, including the aftermath of the Gulf War and the establishment of the U.S.-enforced no-fly zone (NFZ) in northern Iraq. U.S. President George H.W. Bush had called on the Kurds to rise up, which they did, but Saddam’s forces aggressively quelled the uprising, killing thousands and forcing many to become refugees.
Du Buisson had been vaguely familiar with Hitchens but had never engaged deeply with his work. Hitchens’ reporting on the refugee crisis, which included photos and firsthand accounts from the region, left a strong impression. “It make me curious about the Kurds, their history, and their struggle for a homeland,” he said.
When ISIS began its offensive in 2014, Du Buisson was again struck by the horrific plight of the Yezidis fleeing Sinjar. “It deeply moved me, as once again the Kurds were facing a genocidal threat,” he said. As he began writing for The Region and later The Jerusalem Post, he made it a priority to document the plight of the people. “When Turkiye invaded Afrin in 2018, I interviewed journalists on the ground in Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria) and wrote a primer on the Afrin crisis and its aftermath. I did this not for recognition or compensation, but because it was important to raise awareness,” he stated.
First visit to Kurdistan
Du Buisson first traveled to the Kurdistan Region in late 2019. Although he had intended to visit in 2016, regional developments delayed his plans. Beginning in 2019, he coordinated the trip with local journalists, writers, and contacts. “When I finally flew in December, I was prepared for anything.” While his father was supportive, some friends were skeptical. “They said, ‘Why go there? It is dangerous.’ But I replied, ‘Kurdistan is not Iraq. The Kurdistan Region is safe by comparison.’”
Landing in Erbil, he was immediately struck by the city’s vibrancy. “I remember the new apartment buildings, the bustling nightlife, and the smells and colors of the bazaar,” he recalled. He stayed in Ankawa, a Christian neighborhood, and explored the city with his limited Kurdish. “Bibore (sorry) became my favorite word,” he joked.
He visited landmarks such as the Erbil Citadel, the Syriac Heritage Museum, and the Family Mall. Later, he traveled to Sulaymaniyah by taxi. “My driver, Hiwa, was a former Kurdish police officer who spoke no English. Despite the language barrier, we connected. He pointed out memorials to peshmerga martyrs who died fighting ISIS along the way,” he said. Once there, Du Boisson stayed at the Khan Saray Hotel and visited Amna Suraka (Red Prison), a prison notorious during Saddam Hussein’s regime that is now a museum. “It reminded me that no tyranny lasts forever,” he said.
One of the most emotional parts of his trip was visiting Halabja, the site of the 1988 Anfal chemical attack, which occurred during the height of the Iran-Iraq War. At the Halabja Memorial, he saw artifacts, footage, and survivor testimonies, which he described as “sobering and unforgettable.”
Throughout his travels across Southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), Du Buisson visited many places, including Duhok, Amedi, and Lalish, the holy capital of the Yezidis. “It was freezing when I arrived. I walked barefoot to the tomb of Adi ibn Musafir al-Hakari and tied a knot to make a wish for the peace and prosperity of the Yezidi people.” He reflected further on their suffering: “After surviving 73 firmans (edicts), the Yezidi community deserves protection from prejudicial discrimination and tangible support for those who survived ISIS captivity. They remain impoverish and traumatized – this must change.”
Before leaving Kurdistan, he visited the Rawanduz district in the Zagros Mountains. “The mountain gorge [near the city of Soran] is a part of Kurdistan’s stunning landscape that more people need to see,” he said. Encountering some nearby Ottoman remnants caused him to reflect on the Kurds’ ties to its mountains and the history of empires trying to repress them.
The Kurdish future
When asked about the future of the Kurds, he was cautiously optimistic. “Statehood is plausible in the coming decades as authoritarian regimes weaken,” he said. The NFZ after Saddam’s failed invasion of Kuwait laid the groundwork for the current autonomy in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. He believes a future independent Kurdistan will likely emerge from Iraq.
In Syria, the Kurds have leveraged the civil war to secure de facto autonomy. “Damascus lacks the capacity to reclaim the northeast,” Du Buisson said. He also believes that Eastern Kurdistan (northwestern Iran) could move toward autonomy, especially as Tehran becomes overextended. “The regime’s reach is weakening. There will come a breaking point.”
Northern Kurdistan (southeastern Turkiye), however, remains uncertain. “Ironically, despite a strong national movement, it may be the last to secure autonomy due to Ankara’s military and political control.
“The Kurdish people are incredibly resilient. Despite centuries of attempts to erase their identity, they endure. The Kurdistan Region gained autonomy in 1991. Syrian Kurds are on a similar path. Eventually, those in Iran and Turkiye will follow. The international community must support this journey.”
He also highlighted the disparity in global support between the Kurdish and Palestinian causes. “The Kurdish struggle predates the Palestinian one but hasn’t received the same backing. The Palestinian movement has benefitted from Arab state support and media focus. The Kurds are only now entering academic and policy discourse.”
Regarding Kurdish representation at the UN, Du Buisson said that “either the global order must shift, Kurdistan must gain the backing of major powers, or the parameters for statehood will need to change.”
South Africa’s relationship with the Kurds
Du Buisson reflected on the relationship between South Africa and the Kurdish cause. Recently, the Kurdish movement is viewed positively due to the sentiment of people like former South African President Nelson Mandela and his immediate family. Famously, Mandela’s grandson and immediate relatives have expressed solidarity with the Kurdish struggle.
He explained that post-apartheid solidarity movements in South Africa often empathize with Kurdish struggles, especially in Turkiye. Civil society figures and supporters of the African National Congress, for instance, took up solidarity more strongly in recent decades. “There are parallels between apartheid and anti-Kurdish state policies, especially in Turkiye,” he said. “Calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), for instance, have resonated since the late 1990s.”
However, the South African government’s official neutrality toward the issues stems from its non-aligned stance and interest in maintaining regional relations. “So while the public may sympathize, official policy remains hands-off,” he noted.
Ultimately, Du Buisson sees Nelson Mandela’s support for the Kurdish struggle for freedom as natural and therefore enduring. “Mandela understood racial oppression and supported national liberation movements abroad. The connections that Mandela likely saw between apartheid and the Turkish state’s anti-Kurdish policies must have motivated a sense of collective solidarity.”
Goran Shakhawan is a Kurdish-American journalist and author based in the United States. He has covered news for several Kurdish news outlets and was a former senior correspondent for Kurdistan24 in Erbil and Washington D.C. He has published several books in Kurdish.
