Sinjar Resistance Units End Military Affiliation and Integrate into Federal Security

The leadership of the Sinjar Resistance Units announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with the federal government to end its independent military affiliation and to integrate its formations into the federal security apparatus as part of the process to place weapons under state control.

In a statement issued by the leadership, it said the agreement covers the Sinjar Resistance Units and the Sinjar Women's Units, whose strength totals 4165 fighters, and that they will be integrated within the agreed legal and institutional frameworks and understandings.

The leadership noted that this move should be read in the context of Sinjar’s history and what the Yazidi people were subjected to — the genocide of August 2014 at the hands of ISIS militants — and that Mount Sinjar remained resilient through members of the Yazidi resistance; from those moments the Sinjar Resistance Units and the Sinjar Women’s Units were born.

The leadership affirmed that the decision does not strip them of their history of resistance or lessen the sacrifices of years of struggle, but represents a transition from a phase imposed by genocide and war to working within state institutions. It stressed that placing weapons under state control and unifying security decision-making are fundamental to consolidating sovereignty, preventing the return of terrorism and enhancing stability, while also emphasizing the preservation of the fighters’ rights and guaranteeing Sinjar’s security during implementation of the agreement.