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Lebanon

International force deployed in Lebanon

A meeting of UN experts and representatives of 49 countries prepared to contribute to the enlarged UNIFIL established by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 met in New York on 17 August.

France is ready to take command of the force. However President Jacques Chirac emphasised that the commitment of the entire international community is needed.

UNIFIL organisation stepped up

The goal of the 17 August meeting, chaired by UN Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown, was to "clarify the terms of engagement for the enlarged UNIFIL established by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to clearly determine the legal implications".

Resolution 1701 voted on 11 August established the deployment of an enlarged UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) of 15,000 troops to support the Lebanese army and the 2,000 UN peacekeepers already on the ground.

The UN stated that the UNIFIL would need to be "a robust, well-equipped, but non-offensive force". The force will provide peacekeeping support and must be backed up by a long-term political solution. UNIFIL's mission is to work with Lebanese troops to ensure that the cease-fire is maintained in the buffer zone from the Litani River to the Israeli border.

The makeup of the international force must be as broad as possible. In effect, only a multilateral UNIFIL will have the legitimacy needed to carry out the peacekeeping mission. During a telephone call with Kofi Annan on 17 August, President Jacques Chirac stated that, "The makeup of the force must reflect the commitment of the entire international community". According to Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, "It is essential that we have troops from a large number of countries. European countries, of course, [...] but also Muslim countries".

France's contribution

In an interview on RTL radio on 18 August, Alliot-Marie outlined France's contribution to the Lebanese crisis on both diplomatic and humanitarian levels. "In terms of the humanitarian crisis, we have also been on the front lines, evacuating a significant number of not only French nationals, but nationals of other countries as well". France sent four ships, two wide-body aircraft and eight helicopters to bring supplies for the Lebanese people as well as for the UNIFIL troops already on the ground.

France is also currently ensuring command of the UNIFIL. "We will continue to command the force and we are prepared to do so until February, including for the enlarged UNIFIL", the Defence Minister stated.

France announced the deployment of 200 additional troops to south Lebanon. However, the conditions of the mandate must still be determined in order to ensure that the mission goes smoothly. The Defence Minister pointed out that the mission must be "extremely specific" and "we also have to know what material and legal means the troops have at their disposal".

France has also agreed to keep the 1,700 "Operation Baliste" troops on the ground in order to support the UN force. The troops will ensure maritime surveillance and humanitarian relief. The Baliste troops will not be under UN command; they will merely provide the enlarged UNIFIL with additional support.