Shafaq News/ The survival of the Kurdistan Region depends onhaving a strong, organized, and unified Peshmerga force, Peshmerga AffairsMinister Shorsh Ismail stated, on Saturday.
In his speech, Ismail said, "We have been able toimplement part of the reform program for the Peshmerga forces."
He added that the United States has supported them inimplementing the reform program and in establishing the Kurdistan militaryforces, expressing his gratitude for this support.
The Peshmerga Minister also called on the two main Kurdishparties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union ofKurdistan (PUK), to collaborate in unifying the Peshmerga forces, adding,"Our goal is to complete the unification process of the Peshmerga forcesby 2026."
This came during a speech he delivered at the graduationceremony of the fourth officers' course in Qala Cholan, attended by thePresident of the Kurdistan Region and Commander-in-Chief of the PeshmergaForces, Nechirvan Barzani.
The graduates hold bachelor's degrees and come from variousIraqi provinces.
Peshmerga Reforms
Peshmerga forces(Meaning: those willing to face death), the military of the Kurdistan Region ofIraq, have long been divided along political lines, with approximately 70 unitsunder the control of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and 80 units underthe Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). This division has hindered the forces'ability to operate cohesively and effectively, particularly in the face ofregional challenges.
The ongoing Peshmerga reform project aims to unify theseunits into a centralized structure under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs(MoPA). This effort, which began in the early 1990s and was reinvigorated afterthe 2005 unification of the KDP and PUK administrations, gained momentum in2017 with international support from the US, UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.Their assistance focuses on institutional reforms, enhancing training, andimproving logistics to align the Peshmerga with international militarystandards.
The Peshmerga also works closely with NATO and the GlobalCoalition against ISIS, drawing on their expertise in counterterrorism anddefense. Financial and military support from the US reaffirmed in a 2022 MoU,has been essential in sustaining these reforms.