Lebanon situation/Militias – SecGen tenth semi-annual report under S/RES/1701 (2006) (excerpts)

Tenth report of the Secretary-General on Security Council resolution 1701 (2006)

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II. Implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006)

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C. Disarming armed groups

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39. The presence of Palestinian military bases operated by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah al-Intifada outside the officially established Palestinian refugee camps also continues to encroach on the sovereignty of Lebanon. The fact that some of those military bases straddle the border between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic adds an additional challenge to the control of the border between both countries. I have called upon the Government of Lebanon to dismantle those bases and on the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to cooperate with those efforts. The Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, in his identical letters dated 30 April 2009 addressed to the President of the Security Council and to me, conveyed the position of his country on those matters, noting that the Syrian Arab Republic would not interfere in such matters unless requested by the competent Lebanese authorities. I understand that this issue was raised by the Lebanese authorities in May with the then-Chief of Staff of the Syrian army.

40. On 23 March, a roadside bomb outside the Saida Mieh Mieh camp killed the Deputy Representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon, Kamal Medhat, and three others. I condemned that terrorist attack. No party claimed responsibility, and an investigation is being carried out by Lebanese and Palestinian camp authorities. On 16 June, a low-ranking Fatah member was assassinated in the Saida Ein el-Hilweh camp. Notwithstanding those attacks, closer cooperation between Palestinian camp authorities and Lebanese authorities improved camp security over the reporting period, as illustrated by the fact that the situation remained calm during the elections. Despite those measures, tension within Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon continues to have the potential to increase.

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42. In recent months, participants in the National Dialogue committed themselves to implementing the decisions adopted at the sessions of the National Dialogue held in 2006, including the dismantling of Palestinian bases outside the camps, and made a number of pronouncements in support of a peaceful process leading to the elections of 7 June. Finally, the National Dialogue has agreed on the establishment of mechanisms that would assist a future discussion of national defence strategy, on the basis of the proposals already received from members of the National Dialogue and of those that are expected to be submitted in the future.

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V. Observations

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79. Continuous progress needs to be made regarding measures aimed at improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. It will be imperative for the future Government of Lebanon to build on the commendable initial steps taken by the previous Government, with a view to enabling Palestinian refugees to live in dignity and to ensuring peaceful coexistence between Lebanese and Palestinians, without prejudice to the settlement of the Palestinian refugee question in the context of a comprehensive peace agreement.

80. As the crucial phase of the reconstruction of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp begins, I thank donor States that have responded generously to the appeals issued by the Government of Lebanon and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the reconstruction of the camp, as well as the adjacent affected Lebanese communities. I also reiterate my call for additional contributions, which are required for the successful implementation of that crucial project.

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85. It continues to be my profound conviction that we must exert all possible efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, on the basis of the implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which remains interdependent with the full territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon.

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2019-03-11T20:54:06-04:00

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