Mansour Briefs Aoun on His Talks in Morocco: Extending UNIFIL Mandate is the Best Solution to Avoid a Vacuum in the South

President Joseph Aoun received Minister of Defense Major General Michel Mansy, who briefed him on the outcomes of his talks with officials in the Kingdom of Morocco, which focused on strengthening and developing bilateral relations between the two countries across all fields, and they discussed the security situation in light of ongoing Israeli aggression.

Minister Mansy met, at his office in Yarzé, east of Beirut, with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations of the United Nations, accompanied by UNIFIL Commander Major General Dioudato Abaniara and by Imran Rizvi, Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, along with a UNIFIL delegation. They discussed proposed solutions for the post-mandate phase of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is set to conclude at the end of this year.

The meeting addressed the anticipated consultations in the UN Security Council regarding options for continuing the UN’s role in Lebanon, based on proposals submitted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, while emphasizing the importance of taking into account the position and demands of the Lebanese state, as it is the party directly concerned with this file and with any repercussions on its security and stability.

They also discussed Lebanon’s request to extend UNIFIL’s mandate for a transitional period, and the necessity of reaching an appropriate formula that ensures continued international support for efforts to consolidate stability in the south, enhance regional security, and assist Lebanon in regaining full sovereignty over its territory, in coordination with Lebanese authorities and relevant institutions.

For his part, Minister Mansy stressed the importance of “avoiding any vacuum in the south, given the risks it may pose to Lebanon’s security and regional stability,” considering that the most suitable and feasible solution at the current stage is to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until an alternative appropriate formula is reached that ensures the continuity of its assigned tasks. He also affirmed that “it is preferable for any future international mission in the south to operate under the UN flag, thereby ensuring the continuity of the UN’s role in supporting security and stability.”