Police deployed on a street in Tripoli, North Lebanon, December 12, 2022. Photo provided by our correspondent Michel Hallak
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announced from Tripoli on Monday that "citizens will notice a greater security presence in the north." This statement was made following a security meeting at the Serail in Tripoli, adding that "our concern is to achieve the highest degree of security and safety."
The caretaker minister reiterated that the "security forces are doing their utmost to arrest those who disturb security," adding that "we will not be lenient" and that the "citizen must be certain that violations will harm them." Finally, he stressed that "security work is not just military work, but rather social and economic work."
Mawlawi's announcement follows the security plan, which had been implemented by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) since December 2022 in Tripoli, after the city had experienced a series of security incidents, including fatal shootings. At the time, police patrols were deployed in the streets for surveillance and control purposes. However, this plan did not prevent a multitude of incidents from occurring in Tripoli, considered to be the country's poorest city.
Lebanon's unprecedented financial collapse dealt a major blow to the security situation.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.