On Thursday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Shoresh Ismail Abdulla announced that the process of fully unifying and reorganizing the Peshmerga forces under the umbrella of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) was completed.

Peshmerga soldiers were split between political factions, with 70 units under the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and 80 units under the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The goal of the Peshmerga reform project was to unite these units as Regional Guard Brigades under the MoPA by 2026. The Peshmerga reform project was also supported by the United States, the UK, Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

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According to the 2022 memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Kurdistan Regional Government MoPA, which will expire in September 2026, the Peshmerga forces should be united under one banner.

“After many years of struggle, continuous efforts, and working as one united team within the MoPA, together with the commanders of the 70 and 80 forces who were cooperative and paved the way, we managed to overcome all accumulated obstacles and challenges,” Minister Abdulla said. 

He added that within the framework of this fundamental reform, all forces have been reorganized under a single command and control structure.

“We are pleased to announce that both military regional command areas are officially commencing their duties. This is a historic achievement, and the Kurdistan Region will now possess a unified and modern army under the direct command of the MoPA.

“This great achievement is the result of the direct and continuous support of the President of the Kurdistan Region, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister, along with the important and elevated role of the Coalition partners, led by the United States, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding between us. We express our endless gratitude for their cooperation and call on them to continue supporting the unified Peshmerga force of Kurdistan in the next phase in a different manner,” Minister Abulla concluded.