French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to the Red Crescent warehouses storing aid for Gaza, in the Egyptian border town of el-Arish, in Egypt, on April 8, 2025. (Credit: Benoît Tessier/AFP.)
French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated Sunday the 50th anniversary of the start of the Lebanese civil war, stating that the country can today 'come out of other people's wars.'
In a post on X, the President wrote: 'Fifty years ago, the Lebanese civil war began. On this sad anniversary, I pay tribute to all the victims - dead, missing, exiled - of this dreadful conflict. Lebanon can today come out of 'other people's wars,' build lasting peace and concord, guaranteed by a strong and sovereign state. France stands alongside Lebanon and the Lebanese to move in this direction.'
His message was published on the same day as the commemorations of April 13, 1975, the date of the attack in the Shiyah-Ain al-Remmaneh sector, where Christian militiamen fired on a bus carrying Palestinians. Shortly before, a shooting had resulted in deaths of Kataeb members, notably the first victim, Joseph Abou Assi.
The term 'other people's wars' also echoes the recent deadly conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, from Oct.8, 2023, to Nov. 27, 2024. Following Hamas's attack on Israel, Hezbollah had opened what it calls a 'support front' with Gaza, along the Lebanon-Israel border. The Lebanese political scene is currently focused on the issue of handing over Hezbollah's arsenal to the state, a topic rekindled since Hezbollah emerged weakened from the war. The Israeli army continues to occupy some positions in southern Lebanon and almost daily bombards the country.
Involved for years in Lebanese developments, Macron received at the end of March his counterpart President Jospeh Aoun, who emphasized that France's support for his country is 'essential' and that it is regarded by the Lebanese as 'their protective mother.'