Ban Ki-moon: Hizbollah Must Disarm
New York, Oct 27 2009 6:10PM
Disbanding militias in Lebanon – especially Hizbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006 – is “of vital importance” to the country’s democracy and sovereignty, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new report (http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/542), where he voices satisfaction at progress made towards stability.
“The threats posed by the existence of
militias outside the control of the State, especially
Hizbollah’s vast paramilitary infrastructure, cannot be
overstated,” he writes, calling on the militant group’s
leaders to transform into a purely political Lebanese
party.
“For this reason, I appeal to all parties,
inside and outside of Lebanon, to halt immediately all
efforts to transfer or acquire weapons and to build
paramilitary capacities outside the authority of the
State,” he adds, noting “with deep
concern” that Hizbollah leaders have publicly spoken
of the support it provides to Palestinian militants,
including military assistance.
The report, the latest
on implementation of Security Council (http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/res/1559(2004)
Resolution 1559 of 2004 calling for free and fair elections,
an end to foreign interference and disbanding of all
militias, calls Hizbollah’s arsenal a direct challenge to
the sovereignty of the Lebanese State and cites Palestinian
militias as “another serious threat.”
Mr. Ban
also notes that Israel, violating Lebanon’s sovereignty
and relevant Security Council resolutions, continues to fly
into Lebanese air space, has still not withdrawn from the
northern part of the town of Ghajar, and that diplomatic
efforts to resolve Shab’a Farms, another disputed area,
have not yet yielded any positive results. “I deplore
these violations and call on Israel to cease such
overflights,” he writes.
He also notes that
conditions of hardship inside Palestinian refugee camps are
strengthening radical groups and calls for improving the
living conditions of the refugees “in the best interest of
the wider security situation in the country.”
On the
positive side, Mr. Ban cited the highest voter turnout in
Lebanese history in recent parliamentary elections, which
was hailed as a major success with international and local
observers deeming them free and fair despite shortfalls. He
also noted the opening of full diplomatic relations between
Lebanon and Syria, which for years maintained troops in its
smaller neighbour, with embassies in each other’s capitals
for the first time since their independence.
But
despite his efforts to encourage both countries to begin the
full delineation of their common border, little tangible
progress has been made, he reports.
Mr. Ban’s
Special Envoy on the implementation of resolution 1559,
Terje Roed-Larsen, briefed the Security Council on the
contents of the report
today.
ENDS