(United Nations) The UN Security Council on Wednesday renewed for one year the mandate of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon (FINUL) which will also be able to continue for six months its logistical support to the Lebanese armed forces.
Posted at 1:28 p.m.
Present in Lebanon since 1978, UNIFIL, made up of nearly 10,000 soldiers, is deployed in southern Lebanon to act as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, which after various conflicts remains technically in a state of war.
At the request of the Lebanese authorities, the Security Council decided to extend its mandate once again, worrying about the “violations” of the ceasefire detailed in a report by the UN Secretary General.
The resolution unanimously adopted by the 15 members underlines in particular “the risk that violations of the cessation of hostilities could lead to a new conflict which none of the parties in the region has the means to”.
In his report submitted to the Council, Antonio Guterres notes that while “the root causes of the conflict have not changed radically since 2006”, UNIFIL “is facing new problems in the conduct of its operations”, in particular restrictions on its freedom of movement.
As the country faces a deep economic crisis, he also points out that “all state institutions are on the brink of collapse”. Hence his recommendation to support the Lebanese army “essential to the stability of the country”.
When UNIFIL’s mandate was renewed a year ago, the Security Council for the first time asked UNIFIL to provide support to the Lebanese armed forces.
This provision, which provides for the provision of non-lethal material (fuel, food, medicine) and logistical support, has been renewed for six months, until February 28, 2023. But the resolution insists on the fact that this support “must not not be considered as a precedent nor as a long-term solution”.