UNIDO: the UN peace mission in Lebanon renewed for one year
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3 min
The mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, deployed in the aftermath of the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel has been extended for a year after bitter discussions in the Security Council. Minor changes were introduced in the composition and mission of the peacekeepers, on a proposal from France, after the threat of an American veto.
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Read moreFrom our correspondent in Beirut, Paul Khalifeh
The vote which validated the renewal of UNIFIL for one year came at a time of strong tensions between Lebanon and Israel following border clashes that occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The UN Security Council still wanted to make some changes after difficult negotiations .
The changes introduced in UNIFIL's mission constitute a compromise between the demands of Israel and the United States and those of the Lebanese government. For example, the new resolution passed unanimously gives the international force the ability to access sites to be investigated and ensure that its area of operations is not used for actions. hostile, or to cut cross-border tunnels leading to Israel.
Several requests refused
If Lebanon gave in on this point, Israel and the United States gave up their demands to reduce the mandate of the UNIFIL to six months, to significantly reduce its personnel and obtain a significant strengthening of its powers and its margin of maneuver.
Tel Aviv wanted peacekeepers to be able to search automatically and without warning all places suspected of harboring weapons caches or military installations belonging to Hezbollah south of the Litani River. Surprise excavations inside villages remain ruled out and searches must take place in coordination with the Lebanese army.
The resolution also ignores the demands of certain Lebanese political forces hostile to Hezbollah, which plead for the extension of the mandate of UNIFIL to the eastern border of Lebanon, through which the Shiite party is suspected of delivering arms and ammunition from neighboring Syria.
To (re) listen - Big report: 40 years of UN presence in South Lebanon
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