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KOFI
ANNAN: LEBANON NEEDS UN
STABILIZATION FORCE (MaximsNews.com,
UN)
By Max Stamper
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com
UN/
- 18 July 2006
- Kofi
Annan said today that
the creation of a
stabilization force for
violence-torn Lebanon
would give the
Government "time to
organize and
prepare" to extend
its authority over the
entire country.
Such a force would be
much larger than the
current 2,000-strong
United Nations
peacekeeping force
already in the south.
“The
situation is very
urgent, and it is
imperative that the
international community
acts to end the
fighting,” said Mr.
Annan.
“Obviously
it’s a Council
decision,” Mr. Annan told
reporters in
Brussels, where he is
attending a conference
for the African Union
peacekeeping mission in
Sudan.
He
was replying to
questions about the
proposal first made with
the British Prime Minister
for an action-oriented
package of measures to
end the violence in
Lebanon that included
“a multi-national
force of well-equipped
troops that can go in
quite quickly.”
Mr.
Annan said he hoped the
Security Council would
provide a new force with
a different mandate
allowing it “to
operate in the south and
help stabilize the
situation whilst it
gives the Government of
Lebanon time to organize
itself.”
He
added that he hoped this would allow the
Government “to extend
its authority throughout
the territory including
the south, and then also
give time for them to
sort out the question of
the disarmament of the
militia.”
The
UN Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) has
been deployed in the
area since 1978, when it
was created to confirm
Israeli withdrawal from
Lebanon, restore peace
and security, and help
the Lebanese Government
restore its effective
authority in the area.
Israel completed its
withdrawal in 2000.
Mr.
Annan reiterated
his call for an
immediate cessation of
hostilities, as he
shared the podium with
European Union High
Representative Javier
Solana, whom he thanked
for having gone to the
Middle East to meet with
the UN team led by Vijay
Nambiar which is
currently speaking to
the parties.
~~~
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