Is the specter of civil war awakened? The Lebanese fear him after the exchanges of fire between men armed in Beirut, Thursday, October 14, and which left seven dead and more than thirty wounded, according to a latest report from the Ministry of Health. These shots, the first of which are of unknown origin, erupted during a demonstration organized by the Shiite movements Hezbollah and Amal to demand the replacement of judge Tarek Bitar. He is responsible for investigating the explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital which left at least 214 dead and more than 6,500 injured on August 4, 2020. Franceinfo takes stock of the situation.
What happened on Thursday?
The clashes took place at Tayouné, a district in the south of Beirut, near the Palace of Justice, near the old demarcation line during the civil war (1975-1990). As supporters of the two Shiite parties, powerful Hezbollah and its ally Amal, gathered there to demand the departure Judge Tarek Bitar, ambushed snipers then fired from buildings, explains France 3.
Soon after the first shots, large numbers of armed men, some masked and many wearing Amal and Hezbollah armbands, rushed to the scene and began to fight back. After several hours of exchanges of fire with light weapons and rocket launcher, calm returned at the end of the afternoon in the Tayouné sector, where the army was deployed.. Terrified, the residents of the neighborhood took refuge in their apartments and others were evacuated from the buildings.
Friday, a new report shows seven dead after the death of one of the injured, reports the Ministry of Health. Five of the victims were supporters of Hezbollah and Amal. A mother of five, killed at home by a stray bullet, has also been counted by Hezbollah as one of its “martyrs”. Their funeral is scheduled for the afternoon.
This violence comes on top of the multiple serious political, economic and social crises in which Lebanon is plunged, where the political class, which has remained the same for decades, is accused of corruption, incompetence and inertia.
What was the origin of the shots?
Difficult to determine at the moment. The army simply said, in a terse statement, that a “exchange of fire took place in the Tayouné sector as the demonstrators were on their way to protest in front of the courthouse”, near. For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, said that “snipers” had fired on the demonstrators.
But the exact circumstances of the violence remain unclear as it is not known who fired during the demonstration, and who fired the Hezbollah and Amal fighters. The two Shiite Muslim movements accused the Christian formation of the Lebanese Forces of having posted snipers and for targeting their supporters who were approaching the Christian neighborhoods adjoining the area. MBut the Lebanese Forces categorically denied and demanded an official investigation, accusing Hezbollah of having “invaded” Christian quarters.
The tension is still high, this Friday, declared a day of national mourning. The Lebanese army deployed in force in the district of Tayouné, erecting roadblocks to control cars.
Why were the demonstrators demanding the departure of Judge Bitar?
Judge Tarek Bitar, 47, spoke out against the powerful armed Shiite movement Hezbollah and its supporters as part of his investigation into the deadly explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. Despite strong political pressure, the judge intends to prosecute several officials, including two former ministers who were members of the Amal movement, an ally of Hezbollah. Corn Tarek Bitar has been the target of violent verbal attacks and threats since he issued an arrest warrant against these two politicians on Tuesday, October 12.
The demonstration on Thursday took place after the rejection by the Court of Cassation of complaints from deputies and ex-ministers against Tarek Bitar. Lebanese politicians in the hot seat refuse to be questioned, even though authorities have admitted that the huge quantities of ammonium nitrate which exploded had been stored at the port for years without precaution.
Discreet Christian magistrate with no known political affiliation, Tarek Bitar has become for part of the Lebanese an icon of the struggle against a hated political class. With his reputation as an incorruptible judge and his willingness to indict barons of the political cartel in power for decades, he embodies for many the symbol of independent justice, one of the last pillars of Lebanon on the verge of collapse.
What are the international reactions?
Clashes and gunfire in the middle of the street, in a bloodless country, brought back bad memories and rekindled fears of a civil war. France immediately announced “its deep concern in view of the recent obstacles to the proper conduct of the investigation into the explosion that occurred in the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, and the violence that occurred in this context”. “She calls everyone to appeasement”, informs the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For their part, the United States called for a “de-escalation of tensions” in Liban. “We join the Lebanese authorities in their call for calm”, US diplomacy spokesman Ned Price told reporters in Washington. “We oppose any intimidation and threat of violence against the justice of any country, and we support the independence of justice in Lebanon”, he added, addressing in particular the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah which had organized this demonstration. At last, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for “stop provocative acts” and pleaded for a “impartial investigation” on the explosion at the port.