A portrait of Joseph Aoun in front of the house of one of his cousins in Aishieh, southern Lebanon, Jan. 10, 2025. (Credit: Zeina Antonios/ L'Orient Le-Jour)
In Aishieh, in southern Lebanon's Jezzine district, Marcel Aoun’s living room has been bustling since his cousin, General Joseph Aoun, was elected president the previous day. On the terrace, where celebrations carried on late into Thursday night, a cleaning lady tidies the floor and puts away the plastic chairs, grill and sound system. Friends and family continue to pass by unannounced. Marcel’s phone rings constantly — this time, it’s the president’s sisters checking in on the village. “All the media have been here,” he tells one of them, his voice brimming with pride. “Joseph and I grew up together. His father was my godfather,” explains Marcel, whose house is next door to the president’s. Read more A 'strong' president, not an all-powerful one During his secondary school years at Collège des Frères Mont La Salle, northeast of...
In Aishieh, in southern Lebanon's Jezzine district, Marcel Aoun’s living room has been bustling since his cousin, General Joseph Aoun, was elected president the previous day. On the terrace, where celebrations carried on late into Thursday night, a cleaning lady tidies the floor and puts away the plastic chairs, grill and sound system. Friends and family continue to pass by unannounced. Marcel’s phone rings constantly — this time, it’s the president’s sisters checking in on the village. “All the media have been here,” he tells one of them, his voice brimming with pride. “Joseph and I grew up together. His father was my godfather,” explains Marcel, whose house is next door to the president’s. Read more A 'strong' president, not an all-powerful one During his secondary school years at Collège des Frères Mont...
