On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received Sarbaz Barznji, a councilor from the Borough of Lambeth in London and the former mayor of Lambeth.
The meeting, also attended by the UK’s Consul General in Erbil James Goldman, and focused on the activities of the Kurdistani diaspora in the UK.
I am deeply honored to have been elected as your Mayor. It is my privilege to serve this vibrant community and contribute to a brighter future for everyone.
— Sarbaz Barznji (@SarbazBarznji) April 27, 2023
It is my pleasure to serve as Mayor of Lambeth and thank the people of Lambeth and my councillor colleagues for this… pic.twitter.com/RPNufyPWa9
Councilor Barznji was elected as mayor of the London Borough of Lambeth in April 2023. He initially came to the UK as a refugee when he was a teenager and did not speak any English.
Prime Minister Barzani thanked Councilor Barznji for his service and contributions, praising the role of the diaspora and the contribution they can make as active and good citizens of their new country while remaining committed to their heritage.
Councilor Barznji expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Barzani and reiterated his commitment to strengthening relations between the Kurdistan Region and the UK.
In a separate meeting, Councilor Barznji also met with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani at the KDP's headquarters in Erbil.
The meeting also focused on the importance of the Kurdish diaspora in the UK.
In the meeting, Councilor Barznji told KDP President Barzani that he would make every effort to improve and develop the various relations between the Kurdistan Region and the UK and to introduce the legitimate cause of the Kurdish people in Kurdistan and abroad.
For his part, KDP President Barzani thanked Councilor Barznji for his service to his people abroad and his efforts to officially commemorate the Halabja chemical attack and the Anfal Campaign in the UK.
KDP President Barzani also underlined that attention should be paid to gain recognition of the crimes against Faili Kurds, the Anfal Campaign, and the chemical attack on Halabja and the Barzanis as a genocide.
Read More: Kurdish Leaders Commemorate 44th Anniversary of Faili Genocide
During the eight stages of the Anfal Campaign in the 1980s, over 180,000 men, women, and children from Kurdistan were killed by the Ba’ath regime in the midst of the Iraq-Iran War. Moreover, over 4,500 villages were destroyed.
Several top Kurdish leaders have repeatedly called on the federal government of Iraq for compensation for the victims.
