Lebanon’s Aoun urges UN to extend peacekeeping mandate

By Wassim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT (AA) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday called on the UN to renew the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year.

According to a statement released by Aoun’s office, the president issued the appeal shortly after receiving outgoing UNIFIL Commander Michael Beary -- whose two-year mission in Lebanon recently expired -- at Beirut’s Baabda Palace.

Aoun reportedly praised UNIFIL’s role in preserving peace in Southern Lebanon and ensuring the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The Lebanese president went on to call for a one-year extension of UNIFIL’s mandate without any changes to its mission, size or budget.

Beary, for his part, reportedly thanked Aoun -- along with the Lebanese government and military -- for his ongoing support of the mission.

On July 13, UN Secretary General António Guterres appointed Major-General Stefano Del Col as UNIFIL’s new commander.

UNIFIL was first established in 1978 following Israel’s military withdrawal from Lebanon.

It was tasked with ensuring border security and helping the Lebanese government reestablish authority following Israel’s months-long occupation.

UNIFIL currently consists of approximately 10,500 peacekeepers from 40 UN member-states.