In a crucial session held at the United Nations on Thursday, the UN Security Council has decided to extend the presence of peacekeeping forces in Lebanon for an additional year to maintain and monitor the fragile peace in the region.
Resolution 2695, which approves the continuation of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) deployment, was passed with 13 votes in favor, including the United Arab Emirates. No state opposed the resolution, while Russia and China chose to abstain from voting.
The decision came after a compromise was reached between France and the United States regarding the language concerning the freedom of movement of UN troops. The main point of contention centered around whether Unifil forces should be required to inform Lebanese authorities before carrying out missions.
Unifil was initially deployed almost twenty years ago following a month-long conflict between Israel and the heavily-armed Hezbollah, which exercises effective control over southern Lebanon.
“There were last-minute discussions regarding the language of France’s draft resolution, as they are the main authors of the resolution, and they agreed to make a slight modification to the text,” revealed a diplomatic source to The National.
The vote, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was delayed due to several eleventh-hour discussions between France, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates.
Unifil, initially established to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops after the 1978 invasion of Lebanon, is currently stationed in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel. The mandate of the mission was set to expire on Thursday.
As per the latest draft of the resolution obtained by The National prior to the vote, all parties involved must “cease any restrictions and obstacles to the movement of Unifil personnel and ensure the freedom of movement of Unifil.”
Initially, France included language that emphasized the need for peacekeepers to coordinate with the Lebanese government and removed portions from last year’s council resolution that demanded all parties to allow “announced and unannounced patrols” by UN troops.
According to a UN source, the French resolution was developed in consultation with the Lebanese government through Lebanon’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Jeanne Mrad. France had initially anticipated less objection to the resolution.
