ATFL applauds President Joseph Aoun’s speech on the anniversary of the country’s 15-year civil war, calling for unity among all Lebanese as they face unprecedented security and economic challenges. As he underscored, Lebanon’s future and its stability can only lie in a strong, inclusive and sovereign state that has the monopoly of arms. Aoun’s support for a return to the 1949 armistice agreement with Israel is a further indication of the seriousness with which the government is tackling Lebanon’s sovereignty. Israel now needs to withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement.
Lebanon’s weapons and its army must indeed be its unity as the country reclaims its sovereignty and independence. Fifty years ago, when a devastating civil war broke out in Lebanon with tragic consequences, 150,000 Lebanese perished and some 17,000 remain missing. Today has to be an occasion for the Lebanese to look back and learn from the past to build a peaceful future, grounded in unity and non-violence, under the state’s aegis.
We are heartened by the president’s words and recent actions which reflect his and his government’s will to fully enact the ceasefire agreement while building the democratic institutions necessary for the long-term survival and sovereignty of Lebanon.
