United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded the Lebanese government to take “all necessary measures to prohibit 'Hezbollah' from continuing to acquire weapons,” warning from the severe repercussions of the ongoing involvement of the pro-Iranian party in the Syrian crisis.
Asharq Al-Awsat received on Saturday an advanced version of Guterres’ latest report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 related to the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon and the disarmament of militias.
In his report, the UN Secretary-General cautioned that the widespread proliferation of weapons outside the control of the State, combined with the continued existence of heavily armed militias, undermines the security of Lebanese citizens.
Guterres said he was “extremely concerned” that Hezbollah continues to operate outside the control of the Lebanese state by possessing weapons outside government control.
He said he was also warned from the repercussions of Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian war, saying that such interference reveals “the failure of Hezbollah to disarm and its refusal to be responsible in front of Lebanese state institutions.”
Guterres also expressed his concerns about information reporting the involvement of Hezbollah and other Lebanese members in fighting spread across other regional areas, a development which carries the threats of implicating Lebanon in regional conflicts.
Referring to the tours conducted by leaders from the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia and other Iraqi Shiite militias at the border area between Lebanon and Israel, Guterres said, “The unauthorized visits of foreign militia members to southern Lebanon undermines the state authority and contradicts the spirit of the dissociation policy.”
He demanded Hezbollah and all concerned parties to stop any military activities inside or outside Lebanon.
The UN Secretary-General then called on the Lebanese government to take all measures necessary to prohibit Hezbollah and other armed groups from acquiring weapons and building paramilitary capacity outside the authority of the State.
