NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Friday expressed its strong support for Lebanese authorities in their efforts to assert sovereignty over their entire territory, and called on international community to step up the assistance it provides to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
It comes as UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon report violations of UN resolutions, including the discovery of unauthorized weapon caches.
In a unanimous statement, the 15 members of the Security Council welcomed the Lebanese government’s commitment to the extension of state authority across the country through the deployment of the army, and said no authority should be recognized other than that of the government.
They also called for increased international backing to ensure the “effective and sustainable deployment” of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River, a region in which tensions with neighboring Israel have frequently flared.
Members reiterated their full support for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and urged all sides in the country to take “all necessary measures” to guarantee the safety of the peacekeepers and their facilities. “Peacekeepers must never be targeted by attack,” they said.
