On the Occasion of Global Disarmament Week, the Kurdistan Region Government released a statement today, Monday, that asks Kurdistan region citizens to cooperate with the security forces to eliminate weapons in the region.

“In the sake of reducing crime and resorting to violence, the KRG works to regulate firearm ownership, and in that regard, the Kurdistan Parliament passed several laws that regulate weapons possession,” read the KRG Interior Ministry statement.

The Kurdistan region security forces have launched a week-long campaign to seize illegal weapons. They have set up many city checkpoints to check for unlicensed weapons.

The Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) has called on citizens to immediately hand their heavy weapons to the government and register arms in the nearest base. The KRG would compensate for the guns handed over to the authorities.

He explained that the registration period is one year, and during that period, unlicensed weapons, even if registered, are not allowed to bring out and carried in public places because it is against the weapons law.

“The week is to make everyone think about the disasters and unpleasant incidents that the proliferation weapons bring to people,” the ministry said in the statement.

Homicide rates increased following the Covid19 pandemic. In 2022, an expelled university student maimed two of his university professors using an assault rifle, leading to KRG-wide condemnation of civilians carrying unlicensed weapons. 

In 2021  the Kurdistan region parliament passed laws restricting civilians from carrying weapons. 

According to Small Arms Survey in 2017, almost every 20 out of 100 civilians owned a weapon in Iraq, even though the real figure is higher as most guns are unregistered and sold in the black market.

The United Nations promoted Disarmament Week is celebrated from October 24 to 30 each year and brings to the forefront an important agenda to bring about world peace. The principle of disarmament suggests getting rid of all weapons and arms which contribute to warfare and mass destruction.