Ban Condemns Hizbullah Activities Outside Lebanon
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about Hizbullah operations outside Lebanese territories, saying interference in another country”s internal affairs constitutes a violation of sovereignty.
Despite major steps forward in the implementation of resolution 1559, "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias continue to threaten the stability of the country," Ban said in his six-month report to the U.N. Security Council Thursday.
He also expressed concern about the possibility of violations of an embargo on arms smuggling through the Syrian border, saying Hizbullah continues to claim that it has acquired more advanced military technology.
Ban said there should be more cooperation between Syrian authorities and Lebanon to control the border.
He said Hizbullah continues to possess huge military infrastructure capabilities, in clear violation of 1559.
In the 9th report on 1559, the U.N. chief also said he was worried about statements made by the Hizbullah leadership during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which it urged the Egyptian army to back Hamas fighters.
Such remarks "reveal that Hizbullah operates outside Lebanese territories," according to Ban.
"I condemn the unjustified interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country," he stressed, saying the disarming of Hizbullah and its transformation to a political party are necessary for Lebanon to regain its full sovereignty and political independence.
That”s why Ban urged all parties that have influence on Hizbullah, in particular Iran and Syria, "to encourage this process."
He also touched in his report on the issue of the alleged Hizbullah cell seized in Cairo for planning attacks in Egyptian territories.
The Secretary-General reiterated that the presence of arms and training carried out by different militias across Lebanon constitute a challenge to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004, called for the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, the holding of elections without foreign intervention and the disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias in Lebanon.
The report said the presence of armed groups and militias create an atmosphere of fear during the period of parliamentary elections.
Ban slammed the deadly assault on a Lebanese army patrol in the Bekaa valley on April 13, saying the attack is a clear indication of the spread of arms and the presence of armed groups which constitute a direct threat to the country”s stability.
As for Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the report said there was tension lately between members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, stressing that it was time to implement a 2006 decision by Lebanese leaders to disarm Palestinian factions outside the camps.