Security Council renews mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-31 14:37:54|Editor: ying
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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon for one year, till Aug. 31, 2018.

The resolution reaffirmed the Security Council's authorization to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel, to take all necessary actions to ensure that its area of operations would not been used for hostile activities of any kind.

It commended the positive role of UNIFIL, whose deployment together with the Lebanese armed forces has helped to establish a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon, and welcomed the expansion of coordinated activities between UNIFIL and Lebanese troops.

Resolution 2373 was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council on Wednesday afternoon, giving relief to countries, particularly Lebanon, amid fears that the United States might have blocked the renewal.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, launched a severe attack on the peacekeeping force on Friday, blaming UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary for being "blind" to the massive flow of illegal weapons to Hezbollah, adding that her country requests for changes in UNIFIL.

But the Irish general rejected Haley's charges, saying there was no evidence of weapons being transferred to Hezbollah. The United Nations stood by the general.

After the adoption of Resolution 2373, Haley could not withhold her fiery words against the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL is supposed to help prevent war from happening again in southern Lebanon, in particular, help the Lebanese government to ensure that there are no weapons outside of state control in UNIFIL's area of operations, said Haley.

"For too long, UNIFIL's leadership has failed to make sure the goal is realized. In particular, UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Beary's lack of understanding of the threat Hezbollah poses to the region is baffling," she told the council.

Conditions in southern Lebanon are very dangerous as Hezbollah is rearming itself, she warned. "The clouds of war are gathering."

Anne Gueguen, the deputy permanent representative of France to the United Nations, thanked council members for a cooperative and constructive attitude during a difficult negotiation, in her capacity as representative of France, the UNIFIL penholder.

UNIFIL provided a regional public good as manifested by the fact that southern Lebanon has been less violent in comparison with other regions in the Middle East, she said. The force could do better and do more, but no one on the council could imagine what the environment would be like without UNIFIL.

The "interim" force dates back to 1978. The mission was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah to allow Lebanese troops to have access to the country's south.

UNIFIL's mandate would have expired on Thursday.

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