ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - After leading Iraq in tribal conflicts for years, some lasting more than two years, Dhi Qar province has seen a sharp drop in disputes in recent months, raising questions about what caused the shift.

This turn in tribal behavior and local security raises many scenarios for the future of stability in the province. It also reopens the issue of how the state and tribal communities interact at a key moment in Dhi Qar's social and security history.

‘Bloodshed is useless’

With tribal disputes dropping in Dhi Qar, Sheikh Nafi' al-Shami of the al-Bu Shama tribe said the main reason is the state's stronger presence and enforcement of the law. He said this approach is essential and works alongside tribal leaders' efforts to calm issues before they grow.

Shami told The New Region that tribes now understand that bloodshed and property attacks solve nothing. He said citizens are the real victims, and tribal leaders must prevent conflicts from growing, whether between tribes or within them.

He noted better public awareness but stressed that weapons remain a big issue.

“The weapons held by the tribes in large numbers cannot be completely confined or confiscated by security forces, as they are part of the history and identity of these tribal communities,” said Shami, noting “the law grants citizens one licensed weapon, but the reality reveals an unlimited arsenal.”

Dhi Qar has seen conflicts with heavy weapons like Katyusha rockets, RPG-7s, and mortars. Security forces have seized a number of these weapons in different occasions, but much more remain, showing how much firepower is stored in tribal hands.

‘Agreements helped lower tension’

Sheikh Abdul Hadi Mouhan of the al-Bu Saad tribe said past tribal conflicts in Dhi Qar came from weak security and lack of state authority, which led to chaos and more disputes.

Mouhan told The New Region that government offices were encroached by uneducated individuals, which weakened public services and legal order, making way for more tribal conflicts. But the return of stability and rule of law helped reduce tensions.

He said a government committee formed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani over two years ago helped settle tribal conflicts in southern Iraq. The committee, of which Mouhan himself was a member, “worked to resolve disputes in southern Iraq and succeeded in reaching understandings with several tribes to de-escalate and resort to peaceful solutions.” With Sudani hailing from the south, Mouhan said it was everyone's duty to help the government restore order.

Some major disputes were settled, including between the al-Rumayd and al-Omar tribes, and another between the Atab and Bani Rkab tribes. The committee also helped resolve issues in Massawa and Amarah areas, according to Mouhan.

On the matter of weapons, Mouhan said every tribe has them, noting that tribes defended Iraq against the Islamic State (ISIS) using their own weapons, “therefore it is not possible to describe every weapon as uncontrolled.”

The interior ministry also launched a program to register weapons legally using an online platform called Ur Portal. Citizens can submit their information so security forces can contact them and record one legal weapon per person.

Weapons registration results

A source in the Dhi Qar Police shared early results from the “Weapons Under State Control” program, which aims to improve community safety.

The source told The New Region that over 1,300 firearms had been registered by May 2025. Citizens voluntarily joined the effort to register their weapons through the portal; a move which shows growing public support for safer communities.

The program is supervised by a joint security committee and is part of a wider government plan to bring all weapons under state control.

Tribal role in elections

Political analyst Salah al-Moussawi said the state has relied on tribes during elections, calling them a powerful voting bloc and even a fighting force when needed, such as when thousands of tribal members joined the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) during the war against ISIS.

But Moussawi warned that unregulated weapons remain dangerous. He pointed to past killings of high-ranking officers trying to resolve tribal conflicts. “Tribes can become a real threat to national security if relations with them are not firmly controlled,” he stated.

He urged the state to keep politics out of law enforcement, enforce the law strongly, and make sure only the state has weapons, stressing that security should always be the top priority.

Tribal loyalties among officers

Researcher Shahad Ghaleb Al-Rubaie wrote in a paper reviewed by The New Region that tribal conflicts in Iraq have deep roots, chief among them being the widespread and easy access to weapons from black markets beyond state control.

Rubaie said some conflicts are exacerbated because some security officers are loyal to their tribes or have personal ties to tribal leaders.

“This hinders the implementation of the law, especially in light of partisan interference that adds political weight to these disputes and limits the ability of the security forces to impose order,” wrote the researcher.

Rubaie also noted that poverty and lack of employment push young people toward tribal conflicts as a way to fill emotional gaps or make an income. The researcher also warned of growing drug use, “which contributes to fueling violence among individuals and increasing instances of lawlessness.”

“Disputes often arise due to conflicts over agricultural land, water-sharing issues, or financial and inheritance conflicts. These are issues that recur frequently and sometimes turn into armed confrontations due to the absence of swift and decisive legal solutions.”

Drop in tribal conflicts

Brigadier General Qasim al-Saeedi, head of Tribal Affairs Directorate in Dhi Qar, said tribal conflicts have dropped in recent years thanks to more security work and tribal leaders who want to prevent violence.

Saeedi told The New Region that stronger law enforcement and support from tribal leaders helped cut down on disputes. There were 158 recorded cases of tribal disputes in 2023, about 150 in 2024, and only 25 in the first four months of 2025, according to the official.

He said this drop shows better public awareness and the success of state efforts to improve safety and promote social peace.

One of the longest-running tribal disputes in Dhi Qar was between the al-Rumayd and al-Omar tribes in the Islah district. It lasted nearly 25 months before it ended after intervention by religious leaders in Najaf and prime minister Sudani.

The conflict killed several people, including a national security officer who was the son of a tribal leader, and injured 30 others. The officer was ambushed while returning home. The conflict ended with a tribal settlement that included a blood payment of 1.2 billion dinars and a court-backed agreement to restore peace.

Tougher penalties

Political science professor Najm al-Ghazzi said today’s tribal disputes are short-term flare-ups, not part of hidden plots. He said some tribes still believe in conspiracy theories, but there is no proof of organized planning.

Speaking to The New Region, Ghazzi said many people now fear the return of strong state authority, which helped reduce conflicts. The interior ministry has started imposing strict penalties, which also helped lower tensions.

“The media has begun to play an influential role by highlighting these events and transforming them into issues of public opinion, which are described as direct messages directed to regions and tribes indicating that the state has begun to take firm positions.”

“The stronger the state, the weaker the conflicts and illegal actions,” he added, emphasizing that “restoring the strength of the state is the key to ending chaos and ensuring social stability.”

Additional reporting by Amr Al Housni