Crisis in Lebanon: the street coldly welcomes the meeting chaired by Aoun

Text by: Paul Khalifeh Follow

In Lebanon, a national dialogue meeting convened by President Michel Aoun and boycotted by important political figures has failed to calm the anger of the Lebanese. Protests have resumed in several regions and the Lebanese pound has continued to plunge against the dollar.

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From our correspondent in Beirut,

Michel Aoun has failed to create a sacred union to deal with the multifaceted crisis that has plagued Lebanon for months. The national meeting he convened on Thursday to consolidate civil peace after incidents of sectarian overtones in the past two weeks has been boycotted by the main Sunni figures and by Christian leader Samir Geagea.

During his speech, President Aoun expressed his "  concern  " over "  the return of certain signs indicating the risk of civil war  ". The head of government was no more reassuring. During a Council of Ministers meeting after the national meeting, Hassan Diab stressed that "  the country is going through a major crisis  ".

During the meeting, protesters gathered on the road to the presidential palace and in other regions to denounce the economic crisis, as the Lebanese pound continued its historic fall against the dollar, causing prices to soar.

In the evening, angry youth groups closed several roads in Beirut and other cities. The economic and financial crisis that has hit Lebanon since the fall turned a few weeks ago into a social uproar , and, more recently, into a political crisis.

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• Lebanon
• Michel Aoun

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