Faction weapons talks postponed after Al-Nujaba’s absence

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A planned meeting between Coordination Framework (CF) leaders and armed factions to discuss bringing weapons under state control has been postponed until further notice and may be held after US forces withdraw from Iraq, an informed source told Shafaq News on Monday.

The meeting did not take place because Harakat Al-Nujaba did not attend, the source said. He denied reports that four armed factions had agreed to integrate into state security institutions, saying negotiations and proposed mechanisms for the weapons issue had been postponed until after September 30.

The Iraqi government has set September 30 as a deadline for bringing weapons held by armed factions under state control. The date also marks the scheduled end of the Global Coalition’s military presence in Iraq, with several factions linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Read more: What happens to Iraq's armed factions after September 30?

Last month, the CF, an alliance of major Shiite political forces, formed a three-member committee comprising former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki and Badr Organization leader Hadi Al-Amiri. The committee has since held talks with armed factions over the weapons issue.

The State Administration Coalition, which includes Iraq’s main Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political forces, has warned that authorities will address any armed activity outside state control after September 30 under the country’s counterterrorism law.

Read more: Source: Iraqi factions signal flexibility on disarmament talks