French President Emmanuel Macron speaking during the press conference in Paris on October 5, 2024, at the conclusion of the Francophonie summit. (Credit: Antoine Ajoury/OLJ)
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he will host an international conference on Lebanon in October, just before the closing of the 19th Francophonie summit on Saturday evening in Paris. The 88 members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) unanimously called for an "immediate and lasting" ceasefire in Lebanon, under Israeli strikes, announced the French president. "We have unanimously expressed support for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and stated our commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region," said the head of the Elysée, who also thanked the OIF members "for having approved France's organization of an international conference in support of Lebanon" in October.
The Lebanese delegation at the summit, chaired by outgoing Information Minister Ziad Makari and including Lebanon's ambassador to Berlin Moustapha Adib, the Lebanese representative to UNESCO Nadim Souraty, as well as the chargé d'affaires at the embassy in Paris Ziad Taan, fought hard to bring about a declaration of solidarity in favor of Lebanon. According to Mr. Makari, Emmanuel Macron played an "important role" in pushing through the resolution, despite strong reluctance expressed by some countries that are unconditional supporters of Israel.
According to a French source at the summit who requested anonymity, several African countries supported the Israeli state. Additionally, some Western countries, such as Canada, Romania, and Bulgaria, clearly supported the Israeli position in this conflict.
No mention of Israel
This ultimately led to the removal of any mention of Israel from the declaration of solidarity with Lebanon, published at the closing of the summit and strongly calling to "end violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and for an "immediate and lasting ceasefire." In response to a question from L'Orient-Le Jour condemning a declaration devoid of meaning, since it does not expressly mention Israel, Mr. Macron called not to underestimate the unanimous support of OIF members for Lebanon.
"Our current priority is a ceasefire," Mr. Macron explained. "Next will be humanitarian aid to the distressed population, which will be one of the objectives of this conference. The third point is to help the Lebanese army fully reconstitute itself to ensure the country's stability and security. Finally, we need to conduct political work with all stakeholders to endow Lebanon with stable political institutions." "France remains mobilized, and the coming days will be crucial to achieve a ceasefire and start humanitarian work," added the French president, who "sends a word of affection and support to Lebanon."
While the adopted text fell short of the ambitions of the initial proposed text, the Lebanese delegation seemed nevertheless satisfied with the latest version. "It is normal to have negotiations in international bodies, and the final text clearly supports Lebanon," a member of the Lebanese delegation told L'Orient-Le Jour. The text indeed expresses "the unwavering solidarity of the Francophone family with Lebanon in this new ordeal it is going through," condemning "any indiscriminate action against civilians" and calling "for the protection of the civilian population."
It is worth noting on the sidelines of the summit that the French president spoke on Saturday in favor of stopping arms deliveries to Israel, which are used in the conflict in Gaza. "I think today, the priority is to return to a political solution, to stop delivering weapons for the fighting in Gaza," he said during a special program on France Inter radio dedicated to the Francophonie. Remarks that immediately provoked a reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said that Emmanuel Macron and some Western leaders "should be ashamed" of calling for arms embargoes on Israel.
Makari's media campaign
During the summit, the outgoing minister Makari engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations present, to explain Lebanon's perspective on the current situation. Mr. Makari also conducted an extensive media campaign, giving numerous interviews to the international press.
During the closed-door meeting with all the delegations present, the official insisted on providing strong figures concerning Lebanese victims. "As I speak to you, one million two hundred thousand people are displaced, forced to leave behind their homes, their possessions, their livelihoods, and the memories of an entire lifetime. These internal displacements further aggravate an already disastrous economic situation and the degradation of our already fragile infrastructure," he stated. "As I speak to you, blood is being shed. More than 2,000 people have already lost their lives. More than 10,000 others are injured. These are not just numbers but human lives. Men, women, children who had plans, dreams, a future. As I speak to you, hospitals in Lebanon can no longer cope with the influx of patients," insisted the minister before the heads of state and government of the OIF.
In a sign of the attention Emmanuel Macron pays to Lebanon, the head of the Élysée allowed the Lebanese minister to conclude the meeting of delegations without a time limit, while the other official representatives were only allowed one minute each to speak.
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
