French Foreign Minister warns post-Unifil security vacuum in south Lebanon must be avoided

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has cautioned against a potential "security vacuum" in southern Lebanon once the UN peacekeeping mission Unifil concludes its mandate at the end of the year. Accompanied by Alice Rufo, the French Armed Forces Minister, Barrot emphasized the necessity of a "new international framework" to support Lebanese security forces following Unifil's departure after nearly five decades of presence.

The French diplomatic sources had already warned that any security vacuum in south Lebanon would be "extremely dangerous".

During their visit to Beirut, Barrot and Rufo met with senior Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Army Commander Gen Rodolphe Haykal. While Aoun expressed a preference for extending Unifil's mandate, he also stated that Beirut would welcome any formula ensuring international presence in the region if the extension was not feasible.

The US and Israel had pushed for the UN to terminate Unifil's mandate, claiming the force contributed to the continuation of conflicts across the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated border dividing southern Lebanon and Israel. The French ministers stressed the importance of bolstering the underfunded and under-equipped Lebanese Armed Forces as they strive to consolidate state control over all weapons, with Hezbollah being the primary focus.

Despite Hezbollah's resistance to disarming, France and the EU are committed to providing assistance. The European Union recently announced the establishment of a support mission for the Lebanese Armed Forces, with an initial mandate of three years. This mission aims to strengthen the capacities of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, as well as enhancing maritime security. However, EU leaders have emphasized that this mission is not intended to replace Unifil.