“The war in Lebanon would plunge part of the Middle East into an abyss,” believes Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu

“The war here in Lebanon would plunge part of the Middle East into an abyss, an abyss from which we would collectively find it difficult to recover”estimated the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu from the south of Lebanon, at the Deir Kifa camp, in an interview on franceinfo and recorded in the afternoon of Thursday, November 2, before the Lebanese movement Hezbollah asserted in the evening of Thursday having attacked simultaneously “19 military positions and sites” Israelis.

It is at the Deir Kifa camp that some of the French peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are stationed. French forces, present in Lebanon since 1978, are among the main contributors to UNIFIL, with 700 men. An interview during which the minister announced the upcoming dispatch of the helicopter carrier Diksmuide off the coast of Gaza.

franceinfo: Given the current sensitive situation, is the security of the approximately 700 French peacekeepers stationed here assured?

Sébastien Lecornu: This is obviously a major issue and that’s why I’m here. The contingent is here, in Deir Kifa, and there is also one in Naqoura, closest to the blue line, that is to say the border between Israel and Lebanon. And obviously, we are at a moment where the situation is deteriorating.

“We should perhaps remember why we are here: there is an old mandate from the United Nations, it is also the last major mission under blue helmets that France is carrying out.”

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces

at franceinfo

It is a mandate in which there are humanitarian obligations for the populations, support missions for the Lebanese armed forces which constitute a point of stability in the country. Then above all the “observation” of the cessation of the conflict and military operations. And obviously, we are at a time where, since the beginning of October, the frequency of shooting has resumed on both sides of the border with attacks. The question of the security of the rights of way is a key point and this is what I came to ensure here, in conjunction with the United Nations which is responsible for the mission.

The observation mission of French soldiers from UNIFIL – the UN Interim Force in Lebanon – has further intensified in recent weeks with the increase in patrols in particular. In the event of escalation, can their mission evolve?

The mandate is old. It has therefore evolved many times. What I want to say, and I address all parties: no one has an interest in UNIFIL leaving. No one has any interest in escalation here. No one has any interest in destabilizing Lebanon, which is experiencing major economic and social difficulties. A country which, unfortunately, does not have stable institutions filled in all positions, including because there is no president at the time I speak to you. It is clear that we must not put UNIFIL in an untenable situation in which you will not be able to carry out the mission that the United Nations has given it. This is the message we are sending to the various actors, on the Lebanese side as well as on the Israeli side.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is due to break his silence on Friday, with a highly anticipated speech on the ongoing conflict. Do you expect anything from this speech?

It is not up to the French minister to expect anything from the speeches of the leader of Hezbollah. What I see is the dramatic situation in which Lebanon finds itself today. And basically, Lebanon needs everything except a war. And I think that all Lebanese political leaders, in their great political or religious diversity, are completely aware of this.

“Basically, the last major Western country to devote so much time, so much money to Lebanon, is obviously France in view of the historical link that unites us.”

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces

at franceinfo

This is also the message that I came to deliver to Lebanese political leaders. I repeat, this is also the message that we delivered to the authorities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem because the war here in Lebanon would plunge part of the Middle East into an abyss, into an abyss from which we would have difficulty collectively to get back up.

You spoke of stability, Lebanon has not had a president for over a year. Would this stability, especially in the current context, be better assured if Lebanon had a president?

Yes, there are no doubts. Jean-Yves Le Drian, as former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has a mission which was given by the President of the Republic to try to resolve the situation. But it is certain that Lebanese political parties must take their responsibilities. If there is no president, it is because there is a blockage in Parliament linked to the results of the legislative elections which must be respected. But it is clear that in the difficulties we are experiencing, not having a contact person for over a year now makes no sense. This weakens Lebanon even more.

This is my eighth trip to Lebanon. The last time, it was on December 31, for New Year’s Eve, alongside our forces, I was not able to meet a president since there was none. Today, I come in a very degraded context of crisis situation, I cannot meet the president, I will see the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the President of Parliament. But we can clearly see that not having a head of state, obviously, does not work in favor of the interests of the Lebanese, including their security.

If we return to the conflict which is taking place a few hundred kilometers from here, France has mobilized part of its fleet to send it to the Mediterranean, in this case the Thunder. Where is this helicopter carrier and when will it be operational?

It must be understood that the President of the Republic has requested a global maneuver so that France is a framework nation, that is to say a nation which leads other countries in health matters to the aid of the civilian populations of Gaza. This also requires a significant assembly of resources that NGOs and civil society can put in place. And then also by military means. These military means are of different natures.

“There are the boats, the Tonnerre was operating in the region. It was diverted to go as close as possible to the Lebanese coast and it is about an hour by helicopter from here. Behind, we have a second helicopter carrier, the Dixmude, which is being equipped to be transformed into a hospital boat.”

Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces

at franceinfo

You also have Air Force assets. An A400M landed in Egypt a few days ago to drop off several dozen tons of medical cargo. Two other flights are planned, on November 3 and 5, again to be alongside the Egyptian authorities who are on the front line on this subject. Then if necessary, depending on discussions with the various partners – we have ongoing discussions led by the Quai d’Orsay with Egypt – we may be able to deploy elements of our military medicine. The army health service has advanced surgery units, for example, with good expertise in war injuries. These are so many objects and means that France is putting on the table.

You are talking about the helicopter carrier Diksmuidewhich will be sent to raise the Thunderwhen will it be and for what purpose?

Planning is being done. The idea is to tell all the actors in this conflict that we cannot leave civilian populations exposed to danger and, above all, without a healthcare solution on a humanitarian level. And so, obviously, as we want to bring other countries along, we are putting a lot of resources on the table to create leverage and to aggregate. THE Diksmuide could be equipped, as I told you, with a certain number of hospital beds. This is one of the solutions.

But once again, we must not think only about a boat or a medical cargo flight. We need to think globally. The status of “framework nation” is like a large block of power strips in which we ourselves fill a few sockets and we allow other countries to come and connect, to come and assemble resources. And it will also, of course, be human resources because we will need caregivers.

Regarding these human resources, how can we bring these people to the Gaza Strip?

Concretely, this is the purpose of the planning and work being carried out with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities. But once again, there are no patterns in which Gaza’s civilian populations are abandoned. Everyone must take their responsibilities, France takes its own. As has been said, Israel must be able to defend itself, it is legitimate for Israel to carry out actions that will put Hamas out of harm’s way and reproduce these barbaric acts that we have experienced. And at the same time, it is clear that the civilian populations of Gaza must be protected. It is international law and it is also France’s moral duty to play this role in the region. This is what we are doing and the French armies, under the authority of the President of the Republic, will contribute to it.