Strugar Denies UNIFIL Role in Syria, Stresses Cooperation with Lebanese Army
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Director of Political and Civil Affairs Milos Strugar said on Monday that the strategic dialogue with the Lebanese army is essential, denying any role for the UNIFIL in Syria.
“Dialogue is essential not only to boost the army’s abilities but to also enable it to progress towards a permanent ceasefire,” Strugar told As Safir newspaper in an interview.
He revealed that the UNIFIL is seeking with the office of U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, the U.N. agencies in Lebanon, and the international community to train and aid the Lebanese army with the necessary equipment to enable it to perform its tasks according to the U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.
Asked about U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s “strategic revision” of the UNIFIL’s mission, Strugar revealed that it was referred to the U.N. Security Council in March for further study.
The six-page report said that the situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations is stable, adding however that no real breakthrough has been achieved in establishing a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution between Lebanon and Israel.
The report noted however that progress in the demarcation of the Blue Line has helped reduce inadvertent violations between Lebanon and Israel.
Ban explained that the revision was not strictly aimed at listing UNIFIL’s accomplishments and current challenges it is facing, but also at empowering it to bolster the implementation of resolution 1701.
“It was a strategic review for the best ways to confront the remaining challenges facing the UNIFIL, taking into consideration the last five-year progress and the changes on the ground,” Strugar stated.
He told the daily that the “most important factor is seeking to implement resolution 1701 in order to establish permanent peace in the South.”
Asked about reports on the UNIFIL intervention in the U.N. monitoring mission in Syria, the U.N. official stressed that the “UNIFIL only works within its peacekeeping mandate according to resolution 1701, which is limited to the area in southern Lebanon between the Litani River and the Blue Line.”
He denied reports on arms smuggling south of the Litani River, confirming that the UNIFIL didn’t find any evidence on attempts to smuggle unauthorized arms.
Concerning the tripartite meetings between Lebanon and Israel under the sponsorship of UNIFIL, he said the peacekeeping force was able to eliminate tension as it aims to set a clear mechanism that should be developed in order to halt any escalation between the two countries.
The force was created in 1978 to help Lebanon restore government control over southern Lebanon after the Israeli invasion, and it was beefed up in 2006 after the latest fighting between Hizbullah and Israel.
Source: Agence France Presse
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