Security Council calls on Lebanon to assert control over all its territory

The United Nations Security Council today called on that the Government of Lebanon to make more progress in controlling its territory and disbanding militias, while also calling on Syria to cooperate with those efforts.

In a statement read out by its January President, Augustine Mahiga of Tanzania, the Council also called on Syria to take measures to stop movements of arms and personnel into Lebanon that have been reported.

“The Council calls on the Lebanese Government to sustain its efforts to achieve progress on all these issues in accordance with resolution 1559 (2004) and to pursue a broad national dialogue, and the Council calls on all other parities concerned, in particular the Government of Syria, to cooperate to this end,” he said.

Since the adoption of that resolution, which called for an end to foreign influence in Lebanon, the Council said that much progress had been made, including the withdrawal of Syrian forces and the holding of credible parliamentary elections in May and June 2005.

It commended the Lebanese Government for taking additional steps, such as conducting dialogue with representatives of domestic and foreign militias.

However, it noted with regret that Government control has yet to be asserted over all of the country’s territory, and fair presidential elections without foreign influence have yet to be conducted.

It warned, furthermore, that those responsible for the continued terrorist attacks, which have killed scores of Lebanese citizens since 2004, must be held accountable and will not be permitted to jeopardize the stability of the country.