In recent statements, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that he wants to achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah by 2025. He referred to the Iraqi experience with the Popular Mobilization Forces, stating: “We will not repeat the experience of the Popular Mobilization Forces by integrating Hezbollah into the army. Furthermore, Hezbollah will not function as an independent unit within the army; its members will be able to enlist after the recruitment period like members of other Lebanese parties.”
The president also said in a statement on April 14: “The army is doing its duty south of the Litani River, dismantling tunnels and confiscating weapons without objections from Hezbollah. Yes, Hezbollah respects Law 1701 and gives the state all the power to do what it needs to do. The dialogue on the monopoly of weapons will be bilateral between the Presidency of the Republic and Hezbollah, and the decision to limit weapons to the state has been taken and will be implemented through dialogue and without resorting to force. Hezbollah is aware of Lebanon’s interests and international and regional circumstances favor it. We are coordinating with the Syrian leadership on border control and hope to appoint commissions to demarcate land and sea borders.”
He insisted that: “the process for implementing disarmament should be defined through dialogue with Hezbollah leaders.” President Joseph Aoun, according to Lebanese sources, is pursuing the goal of disarming Hezbollah in line with the demands of the United States, Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, claiming that this is a Lebanese request. In reality, it is part of the agreements signed between Lebanon and Israel in which the management of weapons and security must be in the hands of the Lebanese army only.
Elements of Hezbollah militias deplore this decision of the Lebanese government and say that the recent removal of banners honoring the “martyred leaders of the resistance – from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Saleh Al-Arouri to Imam Musa Sadr – from the walls and streets of Beirut is one of the milder consequences of this wrong trend, indicating that there could be more serious repercussions for the resistance”.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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