Iraqi Resistance factions split over disarmament plan
Shafaq News – Baghdad
An internal division has emerged among Iraq’s resistance factions over calls to limit weapons to state control, prompting preparations for a unified meeting to address the dispute, a senior source told Shafaq News on Saturday.
The source said recent days have seen disagreements among armed factions affiliated with the Resistance Coordination Committee after several groups publicly announced their willingness to relinquish their weapons, with additional factions expected to follow in the coming days.
According to the source, Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba oppose handing over their weapons, alongside other factions, creating a rift that led the committee to arrange a meeting later this week aimed at reducing divisions and unifying positions on the next phase.
Over the past 24 hours, a number of factions declared support for confining arms to the state. Statements were issued by Shibl al-Zaidi, secretary-general of Kataib Imam Ali, followed by calls from Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, as well as positions voiced by Ansar Allah al-Awfiya and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Al-Nujabaa, however, said on Saturday that they reject disarmament, arguing that restoring Iraqi sovereignty, ensuring security, and ending foreign interference must come before any discussion of limiting weapons to the state.
Earlier, Faiq Zidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, said armed factions had responded to calls to place weapons under state control. In a statement carried by Shafaq News, Zidan thanked faction leaders for cooperating to enforce the rule of law and for moving toward political activity once what he described as the national need for armed action ends.
The United States has intensified pressure on the Iraqi government in recent months to dismantle armed groups and bring all weapons under state authority, while also calling for factions not to take part in forming a new government, particularly after securing significant parliamentary representation.
Read more: Diverging views emerge on disarming Armed Factions in the Middle East
