Tribal conference convened
Kirkuk tribal leaders support program to regulate arms
KIRKUK—In a stride towards enhancing arms control, tribal leaders from the ethnic communities of Kirkuk have unified behind a government initiative aimed at consolidating arms regulation. This initiative aspires to confine the possession of arms solely to state entities, introducing stringent measures for the licensing of permitted firearms under specified conditions.
A conference convened by Sheikh Arkan al-Musari, leader of the Al-Musara Al-Ta’iya tribe, spearheaded efforts. The meeting was organized in response to the strategies outlined by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani and the Minister of Interior, focusing on the state’s exclusive right to armament and setting the criteria for civilian firearm ownership.
Brigadier Fawaz Adai, Kirkuk’s Director of Tribal Affairs, disclosed to 964media the Interior Ministry’s impending initiative to rigorously enforce weapon possession laws. “The ministry is set to implement stringent controls on weapon possession, outlining specific processes for civilians,” Adai remarked. This new regulatory framework will limit firearm ownership to non-public spaces, introducing a system wherein distribution agents will issue forms for citizens to declare their firearms.
Under the new regulations, licensing will be restricted to handguns and Kalashnikov rifles. In a nod to cultural heritage, the Brno rifle has been designated a heritage weapon, thereby exempting it from licensing requirements. The Brno rifle refers to a range of firearms that were originally manufactured in Brno, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic).