United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) at a joint press conference he held with Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Dec. 20, 20201 in Beirut (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres inspected the Blue Line, a UN delineated border between southern Lebanon and Israel, in Naqoura.
Here’s what we know:
• The secretary-general toured the border with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Head of Mission and Force Commander Stefano Del Col on Tuesday, the third and final full day of Guterres’ tour of Lebanon.
• During their meeting, Del Col explained to Guterres UNIFIL’s mission in Lebanon and its activities in the South, the NNA reported. UNIFIL’s current peacekeeping force comprises around 100,000 military personnel. The UN Security Council deployed the interim force in 1978 to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
• Guterres is scheduled to meet with Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces Joseph Aoun and representatives from civil society before holding a press conference at 6 p.m. The UN secretary-general has already met with Lebanon’s heads of state and religious leaders.
• After the end of the 2006 war that pitted Israel against Hezbollah, the peacekeeping force was charged with maintaining the cessation of hostilities and ensuring that the Blue Line border was respected in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
• UNIFIL’s yearly mandate was renewed on Aug. 30 after receiving consent from the Lebanese state and being voted on by the UN security council.