Geagea: Mar Mikhael Agreement Reason Behind Lebanon Crisis

Geagea and his wife, MP Strida, attend the annual memorial Mass in commemoration of the "Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" on Sunday | NNA
Geagea and his wife, MP Strida, attend the annual memorial Mass in commemoration of the "Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" on Sunday | NNA
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Geagea: Mar Mikhael Agreement Reason Behind Lebanon Crisis

Geagea and his wife, MP Strida, attend the annual memorial Mass in commemoration of the "Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" on Sunday | NNA
Geagea and his wife, MP Strida, attend the annual memorial Mass in commemoration of the "Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" on Sunday | NNA

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea strongly attacked Sunday the ruling authority and Hezbollah, saying that the current situation in Lebanon was caused by the Mar Mikhael agreement signed between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement, headed back then by current President General Michel Aoun.

“Instead of Hezbollah falling within the confines of the state, the state entered more and more under Hezbollah. Every opportunity for the establishment of an actual state was destroyed, and relations between the Lebanese groups became tense .. and Lebanon fell into an unprecedented Arab and international isolation,” Geagea said.

The LF leader’s comments came at the end of the annual memorial Mass in commemoration of the "Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance", which was held Sunday at the Lebanese Forces general headquarters in Maarab, under the auspices of Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, represented by Bishop Antoine Nabil Al-Andari.

Geagea defended Rai, who some accused of dealing with Israel after he proposed the Lebanon neutrality initiative.

He demanded Hezbollah hand over the decision of war and peace to the state and stop its blatant, unjustified interference in the affairs and concerns of more than one Arab country.

“The time has come for Hezbollah to take the difficult but right decision by placing itself at the service of Lebanon, its people, its security and its interests, instead of remaining in the service of the Islamic Republic and its interests, at the expense of the people of Lebanon, their security, stability, livelihood, present, and future,” the LF leader said.

He lamented how "the Lebanese state today is captive to the existing alliance between the weapons system on one hand, and the system of corruption on the other hand," adding that "this infernal alliance has depleted the state's financial, economic, and human capabilities."

Geagea also considered that the October 17 uprising changed the course of events and mentalities, but it will not bear fruit without a clear roadmap.

“After the early parliamentary elections, we will be before a new parliament, a new government, and a new authority...and when the hour of the presidential elections strikes, we will have a word, a decision, and a position, and we will not accept that this election be subject to bargaining, deals, and a means of striking the unbridled popular will that is yearning for change," he said.



Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, issued on Saturday strict orders to his forces to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid in line with the commitments his delegation made at the recent peace talks in Geneva.

In a post on the X platform, he said he issued an “extraordinary administrative order to all the forces” to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He called on all commanders to abide by the orders in line with international humanitarian law. Any violators will be held accountable.

The RSF has been accused of widespread violations against civilians in areas under their control. They have also been accused of committing massacres in Gezira state in central Sudan. The RSF have denied the accusations.

Hemedti announced in August the formation of a “civilian protection force” that immediately assumed its duties in the Khartoum and Gezira states.

According to head of the RSF delegation to the Geneva talks, Omar Hamdan, the force is formed of 27 combat vehicles, backed by forces that have experience in cracking down on insubordination.

Hemedti stressed last week his commitment to all the outcomes of the Geneva talks, starting with ensuring the delivery of aid to those in need.

The RSF and army agreed to open two safe routes for the deliveries and to protect civilians to ease their suffering after nearly a year and a half of war.

The mediators in Geneva received commitments from the RSF that it would order the fighters against committing any violations against civilians in areas under their control.

Meanwhile, aid deliveries continued through the Adre border crossing with Chad. They are headed to people in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fifty-nine aid trucks carrying aid supplies crossed from Chad to Darfur, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday.

“The supplies are estimated to reach nearly 195,000 people in acute need in different parts of the country,” it added.

“About 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people are being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming days and weeks to ensure a steady flow of supplies. Despite the surge of supplies through Adre, humanitarian partners have warned that ongoing rains and floods have damaged three major bridges in the region, limiting movements within Darfur,” it revealed.

“While progress has been made on the Adre border crossing, funding resources are depleting, and humanitarian funding is urgently required to sustain the supplies chain,” it urged.