File Photo of a Beirut street
Beirut/New York: An uneasy calm prevails here following the sectarian violence between militias- the worst such bloodshed in more than a decade that cost lives of at least six persons while over 30 others were injured on October 14, 2021.
Streets remained largely empty today as militia groups started to bury their dead. Government officers too remained shut on October 15, Friday.
The violence had broken out at a protest led by two Shiite groups — Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. The protesters were calling for the removal of the judge charged with investigating the huge explosion at the Beirut port last year.
Already reeling under an economic crash, the sudden spurt in violence in Beirut has been a chilling reminder of the civil war that defined Lebanon for more than 15 years, and which ended in 1990.
In New York, the United Nations Secretary-General expressed his deep concern about the violence and called on all concerned to immediately cease acts of violence and to refrain from any provocative actions or inflammatory rhetoric.
Secretary‑General António Guterres reiterated the need for an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the explosion at the port of Beirut that took place last year.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, condemned the use of armed violence outside of state authority and underscored the need for restraint, for maintaining calm and stability and ensuring the protection of civilians. She underscored the utmost responsibility of Lebanon’s leaders to place the interests of the country first and foremost at this critical juncture. She said: “Now is the time for all sides to support judicial independence in the interest of the people.”
To a question on the role of international community in the wake of the developments in Lebanon, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary‑General, replied that there is a mechanism, the International Support Group from Lebanon, which has been extremely coordinated. “The International Support Group has been very strong in making it clear that Lebanese political leaders have responsibilities, that they need to live up to those responsibilities. That includes listening to the very legitimate needs of the people of Lebanon and also includes, in particular developments we’ve seen, ensuring that there is an independent judiciary and that they are able to carry out the investigation into the Beirut Port explosion, which killed so many people and left hundreds, if not thousands, with scars, whether they be physical or psychological,” he explained.
Dujarric said the UN was speaking with one voice through the International Support Group, being in constant contact with Lebanese political leaders and delivering the same message, which they need to listen to the legitimate needs of their people. “They need to move forward on political reconciliation, and they need to ensure the independence of the judiciary, especially when it comes to the investigation into the port explosion,”he said.
It may be mentioned that the Sunnis, Shiites and Christians are Lebanon’s largest religious groups, and tensions between them and the extremist Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, which has close links with Iran, and active especially in Lebanon, had often resulted in bloodsheds particularly during the civil war in the country.
– global bihari bureau
