Lebanon: French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu visits UNIFIL soldiers
A member of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon speaks with French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu during a visit to the area of the blue line, a demarcation line drawn by the UN to mark the withdrawal of Israel from southern Lebanon in 2000, near the village of Alma al-Shaab, in southern Lebanon, on December 31, 2022. AFP - MAHMOUD ZAYYAT
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The French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu ended a visit to Lebanon on Monday January 2.
On the program: New Year's Eve on Saturday with the French contingent of UN blue helmets, UNIFIL, posted in the South, on the border with Israel;
and on Monday, talks with Lebanese officials, including army chief Joseph Aoun.
Lebanon is going through a serious economic and institutional crisis: no president, a resigning government.
This visit comes as an Irish UNIFIL soldier was killed in December in the South.
A man suspected of the murder was handed over by Hezbollah to the army.
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With our correspondent in Beirut,
Laure Stephan
In southern Lebanon or in Beirut, the Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu condemned
the attack in which an Irish peacekeeper was killed
and others injured.
It was 15 days ago when a lost convoy was targeted.
"
This disappearance is unacceptable
," said the French minister.
I repeat to all the Lebanese authorities that we want the truth to come out, that those responsible for this assassination obviously be brought to justice, because there can be no trivialization of the losses of the soldiers who are acting here under the banner of the United Nations, that is to say as a blue helmet.
»
► To read also:
Lebanon: Emmanuel Macron wants to "release" the Lebanese leaders who are blocking reforms in the country
The need to emerge from the political crisis
Survey results should be presented by the end of the week.
In Beirut, the minister recalled Paris' support for the Lebanese army and the urgency for Lebanon to emerge from the political crisis: "
So that the Lebanese armed forces or internal security forces can continue to do their job, we also need to find solutions to the unprecedented economic crisis that Lebanon is going through.
And all of this must obviously be done within a consistent institutional and constitutional framework, that is to say quickly having a President of the Republic and a formed government, which will obviously facilitate work with the international community
”.
Constructive exchange of views with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, on the bilateral relationship between France and Lebanon and on the need to respect the constitutional deadlines in the country to work towards a way out of the crisis.
pic.twitter.com/bsK5LAs3EF
— Sebastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu) January 2, 2023
Deadlines that still seem distant.
If Parliament is to meet again next week, ten previous sessions to elect a president have failed due to lack of consensus on a candidate.
► To read also: The World Food Program will grant 5.4 billion dollars in aid to Lebanon
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