UN peacekeeping chief meets top Lebanese leaders as UNIFIL mandate nears end
President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s wish to keep the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in south Lebanon, as he met with U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
Aoun hoped that the U.N. Security Council would approve Lebanon’s request to renew UNIFIL’s mandate for the coming year.
Lacroix, for his part, emphasized the necessity of hearing Lebanon's wishes. "I believe discussions in the Security Council will begin now, and it is vital — indeed imperative — that Lebanon’s voice be heard on this matter, as the country directly concerned," he said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which now counts some 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries, has been in place since 1978, although its presence has not prevented repeated outbreaks of conflict.
Under U.S. pressure, the U.N. Security Council voted last year to end UNIFIL's mandate on December 31, 2026.
Lacroix later met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who stated that the official Lebanese position is unanimous. "There is a consensus" in Lebanon regarding UNIFIL’s extension, Berri said, adding that Lebanon will press ahead with efforts to "safeguard its sovereign rights, protect its borders, and liberate every last inch of its land from Israeli occupation."
Source: Naharnet
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