Hezbollah fighters during a military parade before the media on Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Aaramta. (Credit: Archive photo Jad Abou Jaoude/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The state's arms monopoly remains a central issue in Lebanese political life, more than two years after Hezbollah opened a "support front" for Hamas from southern Lebanon. This is not the first time the country has faced such a challenge — most Lebanese militias were disarmed at the end of the Civil War. At the time, the Taif Accord, backed by significant international support, eased the process. Nearly 26 years later, disarming Hezbollah resembles a true minefield in the absence of political and diplomatic consensus. Efforts to compel the party to yield would now involve negotiations over potential political gains in exchange for its arsenal. Such a compromise is reminiscent of disarmament cases elsewhere, notably the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Northern Ireland and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...
The state's arms monopoly remains a central issue in Lebanese political life, more than two years after Hezbollah opened a "support front" for Hamas from southern Lebanon. This is not the first time the country has faced such a challenge — most Lebanese militias were disarmed at the end of the Civil War. At the time, the Taif Accord, backed by significant international support, eased the process. Nearly 26 years later, disarming Hezbollah resembles a true minefield in the absence of political and diplomatic consensus. Efforts to compel the party to yield would now involve negotiations over potential political gains in exchange for its arsenal. Such a compromise is reminiscent of disarmament cases elsewhere, notably the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Northern Ireland and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...
