Lebanon's army chief visits Qatar for talks on military co-operation

Visit comes after Gen Rodolphe Haykal briefed Lebanese government on Hezbollah’s disarmament

Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani meets Lebanese army commander Gen Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Qatar's Ministry of Defence

Lebanese army commander Gen Rodolphe Haykal is in Qatar on a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening co-operation between the Lebanese and Qatari armed forces, Lebanon's army has said.

Gen Haykal was welcomed with an official ceremony at the Qatari Defence Ministry in Doha on Wednesday, before holding talks with Qatari chief of staff Lt Gen Jassim Al Mannai.

These focused on “developing co-operation between the armies of the two countries and on ways to support the military institution amid the delicate situation that Lebanon is currently going through”, said the Lebanese army.

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He also met Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who reaffirmed that Qatar would continue to support the Lebanese army and other state institutions. Gen Haykal expressed his “gratitude for Qatar’s unconditional support” to Lebanon.

Qatar has been a key backer of the Lebanese army and of President Joseph Aoun’s administration. Since taking office in January, Mr Aoun has prioritised improving relations with Gulf states.

He visited Qatar in April, where he met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim. Following the visit, Doha pledged 162 military vehicles and a $60 million donation to help pay Lebanese army salaries.

“Qatar is one of the leading countries providing support to President Aoun and the Lebanese military, bolstering it over Hezbollah,” said a Lebanese military source.

Chief of staff of the Qatari Armed Forces Lt Gen Jassim Al Mannai receives the Commander of the Lebanese Army Gen Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Qatar's Ministry of Defence

This week, Gen Haykal presented the army's first report on efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a month after the cabinet approved the plan. He presented progress of the plan to the cabinet in a four-hour meeting. “The plan was well received by the ministers,” said the military source.

The Lebanese Armed Forces are carrying out phase one of the plan, which was agreed on last month, despite all Shiite ministers leaving the cabinet meeting. Under the proposal, all Hezbollah weapons and sites south of the Litani River would be dismantled in three months, before moving into further phases.

Discussions in Qatar also focused on the Lebanese army’s efforts to maintain security and stability across the country, as well as its operations in southern Lebanon and co-operation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

Last week, US President Donald Trump's administration approved $230 million for Lebanon's security forces, Reuters reported, quoting sources in Washington and Beirut said. A Lebanese source familiar with the decision said the funding included $190 million for the LAF and $40 million for the Internal Security Forces.

The army is under intense pressure to remove Hezbollah’s remaining infrastructure. The US has made clear that economic aid to Lebanon is largely contingent on progress towards disarming the group. At the same time, Washington has pressed Israel to halt strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon to give Beirut space to carry out its operations.

Lebanon is in urgent need of Arab and international support to revive its battered economy and rebuild after the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended in November last year.

However, Israel continues to strike Lebanese targets nearly daily and maintains control of five strategic positions along the southern border inside Lebanon despite the US-backed ceasefire. Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will not disarm while Israeli troops remain in Lebanon, warning that any disarmament would weaken the country’s defences. The group was severely weakened during its latest war with Israel.