This week, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that its Peshmerga forces have finally completed the decades-long unification process.
Western countries, assisting in the war against ISIS, have backed Peshmerga unification. The announcement comes as US forces leave Iraq and as Iran continues making its threats.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said: “The Peshmerga is more than a military force. It is a symbol of the struggle, sacrifice, and identity of the people of Kurdistan.”
He added, “Today is a historic day for Kurdistan and the Peshmerga; the process of unifying and reorganizing the Peshmerga forces has been successfully completed. This unification is the first step of a long process, and the next phase is even more important. It must focus on strengthening military capabilities, providing advanced weapons and air defense systems, developing competencies, and comprehensively advancing the Peshmerga forces.”
Kurdistan's armed forces
The Peshmerga are the armed forces of the Kurdistan autonomous government. They originated as key defenders of Kurdish rights in the Kurds’ struggle against Saddam Hussein’s oppressive regime.
After the 1991 Gulf War and the establishment of Kurdish self-rule in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) each had its own armed forces. Since then, the big question was how to unify the Peshmerga.
Unity, however, was not on the docket. In 1994, political and economic disputes caused a Kurdish civil war. A 1998 agreement ended the fighting, but institutionalized a division between the KDP and PUK and their respective security forces.
After the US’s invasion in 2003, authorities tried to establish a professional force under the KRG’s Peshmerga Affairs Ministry. The two major parties signed a unification agreement in 2006, and eventually created the joint Regional Guard Brigades. Nevertheless, several groups remained under partisan control, particularly the PUK-associated 70 Forces and KDP-associated 80 Forces.
It’s important to understand how this manifested itself on the frontline. I spent several years covering the Peshmerga’s fight against ISIS. Political divisions could often be seen on the frontline; most nearby bases sported flags or images associated with the two political parties. The war on ISIS meant that, unfortunately, unification and reform were postponed.
The war against ISIS transformed the Peshmerga’s role. The Peshmerga were supported by the US-led Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). Coalition countries provided weapons, training, funding, and advisers, often via the Kurdistan Training Coordination Center (KTCC). The war highlighted weaknesses caused by competing command structures and compounding pressure for reform.
Beginning in 2017, the KRG, the US, the UK, and Germany moved forward with an extensive program intended to professionalize the Peshmerga. They wanted the Peshmerga Affairs Ministry to take the lead instead of the political parties.
Under the subsequent US-KRG agreements, CJTF-OIR continued supporting restructuring, logistics, training, and institutional reform. The objective swiveled toward the unification of the Peshmerga divisions, which incorporated personnel from the Regional Guard Brigades and the former 70 and 80 Forces.
Reorganizing groups under a single professional Peshmerga
Although integration repeatedly missed deadlines, the creation of unified divisional structures represented an important step toward replacing parallel party armies with a single professional Peshmerga force.
Barzani announced the completion of the multi-year effort to unify the Peshmerga forces, calling it a “historic day for Kurdistan and the Peshmerga.”
Barzani said that the process was carried out under an understanding between the KRG and the US Department of War, with support from both the United States and Coalition forces.
“All forces have been brought under the umbrella of the Peshmerga Affairs Ministry,” Barzani said.
He explained that the Peshmerga now operate within “a single modern military structure,” unified in operations, training, command and control, communications, and accounting.
Barzani cautioned that the unification represented only “the first stage and the first step of a long process.” The next phase will focus on improving military capabilities, acquiring advanced weapons and air defense systems, strengthening training, and developing personnel according to international military standards. He also emphasized removing the Peshmerga from partisan rivalries.
“We want the Peshmerga to be a national Kurdistani force that stands above all party and individual interests,” Barzani said.
The prime minister thanked the United States and Coalition forces for supporting reform and helping the Peshmerga defeat ISIS. He also called for stronger coordination with the Iraqi army and equal financial rights for Peshmerga personnel.
With US forces leaving Iraq ahead of the September 30 deadline, the Peshmerga will need their newfound unity to confront the challenges ahead. Baghdad has often tried to weaken the Kurdistan region economically. And since February, Iran and its militias have carried out 1,000 attacks against it.
Unification and reform are but the first step. Currently, the KDP and PUK are unable to unite as a single government, which presents many challenges for the Kurdistan region.