French Minister of Defense and Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu. (Photo provided by the Ministry)
Just days after Jean-Yves Le Drian's recent visit to Beirut, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu is expected to arrive to the city soon. He may even be followed by Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, according to L'Orient Today.
In light of the current context, the visit is part of international efforts to reinforce the cease-fire established a week ago between Hezbollah and Israel. This could be a step forward in activating the monitoring committee for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 (which notably calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal from areas south of the Litani River), as outlined in the Nov. 27 agreement. The committee in question includes the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
From a broader perspective, Lecornu's visit, along with the potential visit of Barrot to Lebanon, presents a new opportunity for Paris to "assert its role and presence on the local stage," according to a French diplomat who preferred to remain anonymous.
At this stage, Lebanese officials and diplomatic circles are avoiding setting a specific date for the minister's arrival in Beirut. What seems certain, however, is that he is expected to arrive a few days after the appointment of France's representative to the monitoring committee.
According to L’Orient Today, the French representative is expected to be Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin. While French diplomatic circles refrain from commenting, they do note that Lecornu's agenda includes meetings with Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army commander Joseph Aoun.
On Friday, the head of the military institution met with the chairman of the monitoring committee, U.S. General Jasper Jeffers. According to a figure close to Yarze, the meeting was "protocolar," with the two men discussing the implementation of the cease-fire.
However, at this stage, no action can be taken against Israel, which the Lebanese government accuses of "violating" the cease-fire, particularly in southern Lebanon, as the monitoring committee has not yet officially begun its mission, said a figure close to Yarze.
Berri furious
This issue has angered Nabih Berry, who negotiated the agreement with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein on behalf of the Lebanese government, but also and especially, on behalf of Hezbollah. "The destruction, airstrikes and overflights of Lebanese airspace are a flagrant violation of the cease-fire agreement."
"What is the committee supposed to be doing to monitor the implementation of the agreement?", Berri fumed in remarks reported by his press office on Monday following a meeting with Aoun. "This committee must urgently begin its mission and force Israel to stop its violations of the agreement and, above all, withdraw from Lebanese territory," Berri added.
According to a Western diplomatic source, the committee's mission is expected to be extensively discussed during Lecornu's visit to Lebanon, especially since President Emmanuel Macron has personally addressed the issue on several occasions.
"Meanwhile, discussions are underway with Israel to address these violations," a diplomatic source said. L'Orient Today has learned that Barrot contacted his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on Monday to strongly protest the recent actions of the Israeli military in southern Lebanon.
At the same time, France appears convinced that restoring calm on the ground is closely linked to the revitalization of institutions, beginning with the presidency. In this context, Barrot's potential visit to Beirut would align with these efforts.
This is especially significant as it is expected to take place following Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Saudi Arabia, which began on Monday and will run until Wednesday. During this trip, the situation in Lebanon is likely to be a key topic of discussion between the French president and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
This article was originally published in French in L’Orient-Le Jour.