France’s Macron to visit Beirut to boost efforts to stop Hezbollah rearming

Lebanon‘s ’favourable conditions’ include supporting the new president and the army

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, will fly to Lebanon on Friday for a meeting with Lebanon's new President, Joseph Aoun. AFP; Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron will fly to Lebanon on Friday for a one-day visit to show support for the country's new leadership and work towards preventing Hezbollah's rearmament, two months after France and the US brokered a ceasefire between the group and Israel, French officials have said.

Unlike his previous trip in 2020, Mr Macron will not meet Hezbollah's political leadership, even though it is not listed as a terrorist organisation by the EU. Its military arm is.

"Today, there is a possibility for Hezbollah to return to a political framework because of the simple fact that it has less weapons, less ability to be supplied with weapons, and less external support," an adviser to Mr Macron told journalists.

He will hold a one-on-one meeting with Lebanon's new President, Joseph Aoun, its prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam, veteran Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the current caretaker head of cabinet, Najib Mikati. A meeting between Mr Macron and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who will be in Beirut on the same day, may also take place.

'Deal with Hezbollah's weapons'

France's objective is to "strengthen the Lebanese army and support Mr Aoun in the efforts he has announced to achieve a national defence strategy that will allow us to deal with the issue of Hezbollah's weapons", a diplomatic source said.

In his meeting, Mr Macron will "pass certain messages to a certain number of lawmakers on the subject of Lebanon's sovereignty", another adviser said, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah-aligned MPs.

In his inaugural speech on January 9, Mr Aoun received a round of applause – which Hezbollah MPs refused to join – when he said he would work to ensure the state's "monopoly on arms". The Shiite-majority group is the only militia that kept its weapons after the end of the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war, ostensibly to protect against against Israel, which has never signed a peace treaty with Lebanon.

A Lebanese girl hugs French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Beirut after the port explosion in August 2020. AFP

In Beirut, Mr Macron is also expected to say that the power balance in Lebanon, which disproportionately benefited Hezbollah for the past 35 years due to its military arsenal, should be replaced by a "sort of government contract that will restore normal institutional operations in Lebanon", the first adviser said.

The election of Mr Aoun, a widely respected former army chief, and the choice of Mr Salam, until last week the president of the International Court of Justice, after more than two years of presidential vacancy has created "favourable conditions" for Lebanon, the adviser said.

This was made possible by Israel's spectacular attacks against Hezbollah and its leadership between September and November, about a year after the Iran-backed group started firing cross-border rockets in support of Hamas after its October 7 attacks against Israel. More than 3,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians, were killed during the two-month war. Hezbollah has been further isolated by the downfall of an important ally, Bashar Al Assad, in neighbouring Syria.

Hezbollah had, until recently, blocked the election of a president viewed as close to its political opponents, and no parliamentary session, which was necessary to elect a president, had been held for 19 months until January 9.

Lebanese prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam with President Joseph Aoun on January 14. Lebanese Presidency Press Office via Reuters

By joining the Gaza war, Hezbollah has a "clear responsibility" in the destruction of southern Lebanon, the second adviser to Mr Macron said.

"We see that Lebanese civil society is demanding change and the restoration of sovereignty," the adviser said. "Hezbollah must be able to hear that message, which is first and foremost a Lebanese message, and which has our support."

Lebanon must have full control of its territory and be protected both from Israeli attacks and Iranian interference, the adviser said.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel's army is expected to leave southern Lebanon, Hezbollah's historic heartland, by January 26, but Israeli media reports have claimed this deadline may not be respected.

France, a former mandatory power in Lebanon, has historic ties with the Mediterranean country, which has a sizable francophone population. During his visit to Beirut, Mr Macron will also continue indicating supporting for the Lebanese Armed Forces, which is expected to increase its presence in southern Lebanon. At a conference organised in October in Paris to support Lebanon, Mr Macron said $200 million had been raised for its security forces.

International co-operation to support the Lebanese army is under discussion, Mr Macron's advisers said. "We understand that Saudi Arabia is ready to re-engage with the Lebanese Armed Forces financially, but also with equipment," they said.

Saudi Arabia may join France, the US and the UK in training Lebanese army recruits. A large part of soldiers' salaries are paid by Qatar, more than five years since the start of the Lebanon's financial crisis.