Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in an interview with The New York Times that the country's armed groups will be disarmed and disbanded by June 30, 2027. He said the new phased plan will be announced on September 30 and will begin with a 90-day ceasefire.
After this first stage, the groups must begin handing over their weapons, and the process should be completed within two years, the prime minister said. The New York Times pointed out that some armed groups are insisting that the end of 2027 be the deadline for disarmament.
„This is not optional; "It is a necessity," al-Zaidi told the publication. He added: "For me, this issue, along with corruption, is a matter of honor."
The prime minister linked disarmament to Iraq's economic plans. "We want to build bridges and economic ties between Iraq and the world. Under this government, Iraq will become a place of meeting, not hostility," he said. According to al-Zaidi, disarmament is necessary to build a "strong economy."
The topic develops against the background of earlier statements by Iraqi officials who linked the restriction of armed groups to the withdrawal of the international coalition led by the United States and the strengthening of state control over weapons. Earlier this month, the government gave a deadline of September 30 for the weapons to be handed over, but then an adviser to the prime minister said there was no fixed deadline for the committee that is supposed to take the weapons under state control.
Now al-Zaidi is outlining a longer timeline - starting on September 30 and ending by June 30, 2027 - while, according to The New York Times, the armed groups themselves are pushing for a deadline of the end of 2027.
Sources: The New York Times