Akar F Jalal – Activists
The Kurdistan Region, as we know it, was established and its governing authorities were formed under the control of two ruling parties. These parties, the KDP and the PUK, are both involved in corruption and looting of the region’s resources.
The Kurdistan National Union (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) are engaged in illegal extraction and plundering of Kurdistan’s oil resources. General Peshdari, in a meeting with journalists, stated: “In the past century, while working with the Americans, oil was discovered in Shaweishok, and I wanted to send it out of Kurdistan, but both the PUK and KDP prevented it. Later, Kurdistan had to endure and I found refuge in Britain.”
Both the PUK and KDP, as two sides of the same coin, are responsible for widespread corruption and chaos in Kurdistan. The KDP controls the yellow zone, while the PUK controls the green zone, with both parties exploiting their power and engaging in illegal oil trade. This oil is either sold or transported to neighboring countries like Turkey at a very low price, representing the theft of the region’s wealth.
The PUK controls the borders of Bashmaq, Seiran, and Parwez Khan, where all the oil is sold to Iranian traders illegally. Meanwhile, the KDP controls the borders of Haji Omaran and Ibrahim Khalil, smuggling the oil into Turkish soil. This is happening while the Iraqi government is blocking oil sales to the people of Kurdistan and withholding the salaries of Kurdistan’s civil servants.
Kurdistan now exports oil to eight connected regions, after agreements with various companies. Every day, around 300,000 barrels of oil are extracted and sold, amounting to nearly 8 million and 991 thousand barrels of oil every month. This generates revenue of about 297 million and 507 thousand dollars.
These funds have been sitting unused for years, and the high-ranking officials of both parties continue to pocket the wealth. They spend lavishly on their families and private properties abroad, purchasing luxury villas, casinos, and hotels in the most prestigious locations.
On the other hand, this wealth is also being used to fund mercenary forces, to oppress freedom fighters, and to stop any demand for transparency, justice, and equality.
The government in Kurdistan is mired in corruption and scandals, and unless this situation changes soon, it is clear that the region is headed towards a dark tunnel, filled with conflict and instability.
About the Author
