Lebanese PM Mikati stresses need for state control over arms

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated on Thursday the need for the Lebanese state to have exclusive control over arms as violent clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army continue along the southern border.

In a press conference following his speech at a conference in Paris, Mikati stressed that the key to ending the ongoing conflict lies in strengthening and deploying the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon. He also underlined the urgency of electing a new president for Lebanon, a position that has remained vacant for months.

"The priority," Mikati emphasized, "is the deployment and reinforcement of the Lebanese army in the south." Additionally, he called for swift action to elect a president who would be committed to enacting necessary reforms, upholding the full implementation of the Constitution, and respecting both national and international agreements.

Mikati referred specifically to the Taif Agreement, the framework that ended Lebanon’s civil war, which mandates that the authority of the Lebanese state should be extended over all its territory and that only the Lebanese army and state should be armed. 

This comes amid rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, as the Iran-backed militia continues its role as a dominant military force in Lebanon, challenging the sovereignty of the Lebanese government.

The ongoing conflict and Mikati's remarks highlight the complex power dynamics in Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates independently of the state and holds significant influence over both military and political spheres. 

The Prime Minister's call for state monopoly on arms resonates with the international community's repeated insistence that Hezbollah disarm, a key issue for Lebanon's stability and sovereignty.