Berri Says Parliament Ready to Lift Immunity for Beirut Blast Probe

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a legislative session at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Lebanon January 15, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a legislative session at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Lebanon January 15, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Berri Says Parliament Ready to Lift Immunity for Beirut Blast Probe

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a legislative session at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Lebanon January 15, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads a legislative session at UNESCO Palace in Beirut, Lebanon January 15, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Speaker Nabih Berri said on Thursday the Lebanese legislature was ready to lift the immunity of its members in order allow for questioning over last year's massive port explosion in the capital Beirut.

The August 4 blast killed over 200 people, injured thousands and destroyed large parts of the city. Nearly a year later, however, no top officials have been questioned over the disaster, angering many Lebanese.

"The priority of parliament was and will continue to be complete cooperation with the judiciary," Berri said in a statement after a meeting with Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement.

Hariri had called for lawmakers' immunity to be lifted earlier this week by suspending all constitutional and legal regulations that allow for it.

Berri did not say when immunity would be lifted or how.

A probe into the port blast led by judge Tarek Bitar has been hindered over the past month as requests sent to parliament and the government to lift immunity and enable questioning of several top officials were either declined or stalled.

Major questions remain unanswered, including why a large shipment of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in bombs and fertilizer, was left stored in the middle of a crowded city for years after being unloaded in 2013.



Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Peace Before Defeating RSF

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
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Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Peace Before Defeating RSF

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)

Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has pledged to press on with the war until the entire country is “liberated,” and vowed to eradicate what he called “the militia, their agents, and collaborators.”

He accused “colonial powers” of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with money, weapons, and mercenaries.

Speaking in Mauritania on Tuesday, Burhan said the fighting would not cease until “every inch desecrated by these criminals” is reclaimed.

He vowed to continue military operations until “all cities, villages, and rural areas in our beloved Sudan are freed,” according to a statement from the Sovereign Council’s media office.

Burhan said his country’s ties with domestic and foreign parties depend on their stance toward the ongoing war.

Burhan is on a tour of African nations, including Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Mauritania. Observers say the trip aims to restore Sudan’s African Union membership, suspended after the October 2021 coup, and rally support against the RSF.

Speaking in Mauritania, Burhan vowed to defeat the RSF, accusing them of crimes under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to as Hemedti, and called for unity to end his influence.

“Our message is on the battlefield, not through words, until these criminals are eliminated,” he said.

Burhan insisted peace is only possible if the RSF and their allies are removed. “We support peace, but only if these Janjaweed and their mercenaries no longer exist,” he stated.

He described the conflict as a “battle for dignity,” saying it is a fight to protect the honor and homes of Sudanese citizens.