Iraqi PM: Sinjar's YBŞ fighters to hand weapons to state
RastinewsIraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Zeydi announced that the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) will begin handing over their weapons to the state, and that Sinjar Mountain will come fully under the control of the federal government and its security institutions.
According to a statement from the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office, Zeydi received a delegation from the Yazidi Cause Alliance, headed by MP Murad Ismail, along with representatives of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ).
The meeting addressed the security and stability situation in Sinjar district, reconstruction efforts, and the future of the local population.
Zeydi said YBŞ forces would begin surrendering their weapons to the state, and that Sinjar Mountain, along with its administrative and security institutions, would come entirely under federal government authority.
The Iraqi prime minister stressed that keeping weapons solely in state hands and unifying security decision-making was fundamental to protecting Sinjar's population. "Confining weapons to the state alone and unifying security decisions is a core principle for protecting the district's people and safeguarding stability and the region's future," he said.
Zeydi said the move was aimed at strengthening state institutions and ending the fragmentation of authority within the security apparatus, adding that the status of YBŞ and Sinjar Women's Units (YJŞ) members would be reorganized.
"The state will safeguard the rights and sacrifices of Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) and Sinjar Women's Units (YJŞ) members by reorganizing their status and integrating those who meet the requirements into official Iraqi security institutions in accordance with the law," Zeydi said.
Services in Sinjar and the return of the displaced
The meeting also covered public services in Sinjar, infrastructure projects, compensation payments for victims, and creating conditions for displaced residents to return to their homes.
Administrative issues affecting public institutions in the district, along with the operation of the Sinjar Reconstruction Fund, were also discussed.
Zeydi instructed officials to secure the Yazidi community's rightful share in the 1-million-plot land distribution project, to establish the conditions needed for all displaced people to return home, and to conduct a comprehensive review of the district's security and services situation.
It was also decided to form a high-level commission to oversee the integration of local forces into official state institutions.
YBŞ and YJŞ
The Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) and the Sinjar Women's Units (YJŞ) are armed groups formed by Yazidis after ISIS's 2014 assault on Sinjar.
Source: Rûdaw