Nujaba rejects disarmament, rules out joining Iraq’s political process

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Harakat al-Nujaba armed group on Wednesday reaffirmed its refusal to surrender its weapons or participate in the country’s political process, rejecting reports that it had softened its position as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government presses ahead with plans to bring armed factions under state control.

Abdul Qader al-Karbala’i, the group’s deputy military commander, said in a statement posted on X that Nujaba’s decision to remain outside the political process had not changed.

“Our decision remains firm and unchanged regarding our continued nonparticipation in the political process,” Karbala’i said, adding that the group intended to remain close to Iraqis and represent their concerns.

Addressing the government’s disarmament initiative, Karbala’i emphasized what he described as the sacred status of the resistance’s weapons.

“There is no such thing in our terminology or doctrine as restriction, handover or disarmament,” he said, rejecting the terms used in discussions about placing weapons exclusively under state authority.

The statement comes as Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework reaffirmed a commitment to bringing weapons outside state control under government authority by June 30, 2027. The alliance authorized al-Zaidi’s government to take the measures necessary to meet the deadline but did not specify how it would respond to factions refusing to comply.

On Oct. 1, al-Zaidi specifically called on Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah to comply with the government’s disarmament timetable, after Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Ansar Allah al-Awfiya announced their commitment to the initiative. Both Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah had maintained their opposition to surrendering weapons.

The government’s disarmament roadmap, introduced after the U.S.-led coalition’s mission ended on Sept. 30, calls for a 90-day suspension of attacks followed by a six-month handover of weapons, with the process scheduled to conclude by June 30, 2027. Al-Zaidi has also pledged to disarm non-Iraqi armed groups operating in the country.

Other Iran-aligned factions have taken different positions. On Oct. 18, Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali described weapons outside state control as one of the government’s two biggest challenges, alongside economic difficulties. His movement has entered the government and established a committee to oversee placing its armed formations and weapons under state authority, although the handover has not been declared complete.

Karbala’i’s statement also rejected reports suggesting Nujaba had reconsidered its political position, saying the group would continue to stand alongside Iraqis rather than seek participation in the government.