Lebanon president welcomes French, Italian efforts to form coalition to succeed UNIFIL

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed on Friday France and Italy’s efforts to set up a multinational coalition to succeed the UN peacekeeping force in his country, whose mandate expires at the end of the year. The peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, is made up of roughly 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries, and has been in place since 1978, although its presence has not prevented repeated outbreaks of conflict. Last August, the UN Security Council, under US pressure, decided to end UNIFIL’s mandate on December 31, 2026.

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