Sawt Falasteen - France's Macron in Lebanon to back new leadership

After more than two years of a political vacuum at the top, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and chose Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.

They now face the daunting task of leading Lebanon after a devastating war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah last year, on of the country's worst economic crisis in history.

"Come, come," he said, leading nursery children in uniforms by the hand to take a picture with him and other students after arriving at a central Beirut school to excited cheers early in the afternoon.

Shortly before, Macron strolled along the lively Beirut neighbourhood of Gemmayzeh near the coastal city's port, posing for photos and selfies with eager members of the public, and downing small cups of coffee offered to him along the way.

He had been the first foreign leader to visit the devastated district after a massive explosion of fertilizer at the Beirut port ravaged it on August 4, 2020.

Later in the day he was set to meet Aoun at the presidential palace, and hold a meeting with Salam.

He might meet UN chief Antonio Guterres, a French diplomatic source said, as a January 26 deadline to fully implement a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire deal approaches.

Macron's visit aims to "help" Aoun and Salam "to consolidate Lebanon's sovereignty, ensure its prosperity and maintain its unity", the French presidency said before his arrival.

France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I, and the two countries have maintained close relations even since Lebanon's independence in 1943.

- 'Hope for possible redress' -

Analysts say Hezbollah's weakening in the war with Israel last year allowed Lebanon's deeply divided political class to elect Aoun and to back his naming of Salam as premier.

Islamist-led rebels overthrowing the Iran-backed group's ally Bashar al-Assad on December 8 has also contributed to the ushering in of a new era for tiny Lebanon.

"In Lebanon, we have gone in a matter of months from a situation of dramatic escalation to a situation of hope for possible redress," a French diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.

Salam, a former presiding judge at the International Court of Justice, has launched delicate consultations to pick a government, with Hezbollah continuing to play an important role in Lebanon's political scene despite its weakening on the battlefield.

The new government must "bring together Lebanon's diverse people, ensure the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is respected and carry out the reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and sovereignty of the country", the French presidency said on Thursday.

The UN Security Council called Thursday for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government, describing it as a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered country and region.

- Ceasefire -

Earlier on Friday, Macron met with UN peacekeeping mission chief Aroldo Lazaro and the heads of a committee tasked with monitoring any violation of a ceasefire that took effect on November 27 after more than a year of war.

"Things are moving forward, the dynamic is positive" on the implementation of the ceasefire, he told journalists after the talks.

Under the November 27 ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.

At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani river, around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in south Lebanon.

Speaking to UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, Guterres urged an end to Israel's "continued occupation" and "military operations" in south Lebanon.

He also said that UN peacekeepers "uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups since the November 27 ceasefire.

He added that the "presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons" other than those of the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force violated terms of a UN resolution that formed the basis for the deal.

Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon that refused to surrender its weapons to the state following the 1975-1990 civil war.

Backed by Syria under Assad, it played a central role in politics for decades, flexing its power in government institutions while engaging in fighting with the Israeli military.

Y.AlMasri--SF-PST