1. Home
2. Reports
3. Guterres: Lebanese State Must Have Sole Control Over Weapons

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community on Saturday to support Lebanon's sovereignty and guarantee the state's monopoly on weapons, during a press conference at the Mövenpick Hotel in Beirut.

“Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and the Lebanese state must have full control of weapons through Lebanese territory,” he said, referring indirectly to Hezbollah's arsenal.

“This is a central tenet of Resolution 1701”, he insisted, before adding that ‘this time, Resolution 1701 must be implemented in all its dimensions’.

“In the past 40 days, UNIFIL peacekeepers have uncovered over 100 unguarded weapons caches” in the south of the country, he stressed.

Mr. Guterres, who arrived in Lebanon on Thursday evening, visited the peacekeepers deployed on the border with Israel in the south on Friday.

On Saturday, he met President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berry. The conference, held at the Mövenpick Hotel, concluded his three-day visit, prior to his scheduled departure that evening.

A “more promising” future

Following his talks with Lebanese leaders, the UN chief said that Lebanon could look forward to a “brighter” future, thanks to the ceasefire established on November 27, which he hoped would become permanent.

“After one of the most difficult years in generations, Lebanon is on the cusp of a more hopeful future,” he asserted, adding that the UN will intensify its support ‘for recovery and reconstruction throughout Lebanon’.

“A window is opening, allowing for a new era of institutional stability, with a state fully capable of protecting its citizens and unleashing the immense potential of the Lebanese people,” he said.

Once the government is formed, “will be placed to address the needs of its people and enforce state authority throughout its territory, but of course big challenges lie ahead”, he noted.

Situation in South Lebanon

Turning to South Lebanon, the UN Secretary-General recalled that “the ccessation of hostilities is fragile but it is holding”.

The agreement stipulates that the Lebanese army must deploy alongside peacekeepers in South Lebanon, while the Israeli army completes its withdrawal within 60 days, until January 26.

Mr. Guterres observed that “Israeli forces have commenced their phased withdrawal with the Lebanese army deploying in greater numbers south of the Litani River”. However, he also denounced, “We are still witnessing demolitions of buildings and infrastructure, as well as deadly air strikes.”

“It is now crucial that Israeli forces withdraw completely from Lebanese territory and that Lebanese armed forces deploy to the south of the country within the agreed timeframe,” he stressed.

“I have seen first-hand the scale of the destruction caused by the conflict,” he declared. “Hundreds of thousands of people have returned to South Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley and elsewhere, often to find their homes in ruins. The reconstruction needs are immense, but not insurmountable”, he concluded.