Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
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Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.



Sudan Launches Talks for a Comprehensive Political Process

A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Sudan Launches Talks for a Comprehensive Political Process

A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef Mohamed said on Thursday that consultations have begun to launch an inclusive political process aimed at forming a technocratic government to lead the country through the transitional period, with a focus on reconstruction.

Youssef met with the European Union's envoy to the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, in the interim administrative capital, Port Sudan, to discuss the EU institutions’ readiness to cooperate with Sudan in efforts to achieve stability and development.

He welcomed the EU’s statement rejecting the formation of a parallel government in Sudan. He also provided an update on the military situation and the government's efforts to end the war.

Weber reaffirmed the bloc’s full support for an inclusive political process in Sudan without exclusion or discrimination. She stressed the EU’s commitment to security and stability in Sudan, describing it as a key country in the Horn of Africa.

The African Union on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over efforts by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies to form a parallel government in Sudan, warning that the move could lead to the country’s "massive fragmentation" after nearly two years of war.

Last month, the RSF and its allies signed a founding charter in Nairobi, declaring their intention to establish a "peace and unity government" in areas under their control.

They also pledged to build a decentralized, democratic civilian state based on freedom, equality, and justice, without cultural, ethnic, religious, or regional discrimination. Earlier this month, the same parties signed a transitional constitution.

The African Union urged its member states and the international community not to recognize any parallel government or entity seeking to divide Sudan or govern parts of its territory.

The European Union echoed this stance on Tuesday, warning that a rival government would threaten Sudan’s democratic aspirations, in line with a statement issued by the United Nations Security Council last week.