Lebanon's Aoun seeks extension of UNIFIL mandate, despite failure to prevent Hezbollah activity

Lebanon's “first option” is to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is due to expire at the end of the year, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a delegation of 20 lawmakers, Lebanese media reported on Monday.“If the mandate is not extended, the second option would be to adopt a formula ensuring the continued presence of international forces in the south, within an appropriate legal framework, alongside and in coordination with the Lebanese Army,” Aoun said, stressing that UNIFIL's presence was essential for stability in the country's south.UNIFIL criticized for failing to take action against Hezbollah's military buildupDespite Aoun's support for the UN peacekeeping forces, UNIFIL has long been criticized for failing to take action against Hezbollah's military buildup in southern Lebanon, Resolution 1701, which was adopted in August 2006, called for the peacekeepers to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces “in taking steps towards the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani river of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL deployed in this area.”Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also reportedly told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Lebanon wants the mandate extended, and Lebanese media said Guterres said he understood the need to maintain the UN's work.Human rights organizations have also spoken out against plans to end UNIFIL's presence. Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said last week that “Pulling the plug on UNIFIL without a robust international force in place would effectively abandon millions of Lebanese civilians to an uncertain and potentially disastrous fate.""UN missions may not be a lasting solution," Charbonneau added, "but the peacekeepers are a crucial deterrent against attacks on civilians and human rights abuses.”