In a report to the Security Council, the UN’s secretary general talks about Hezbollah’s challenge to the Lebanese state. UN chief also calls for a free and fair presidential election in Lebanon without “foreign interference or influence”.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is “deeply worried” that Lebanon’s political crisis may be “deepened and exacerbated by allegations” regarding "illegal arms trafficking” across the Lebanese-Syrian border and “the possible arming”" of various Lebanese and non-Lebanese groups. He urged “the governments of Syria and Iran, to ensure full implementation of Security Council resolutions” regarding Lebanon.

Mr Ban made these statements last night in a report to the United Nations Security Council about resolutions 1559 and 1701 in which he made reference to "detailed and substantial" reports from Israel, and other nations about arms shipments.

Ban's report also stated that Hezbollah's arms “continue to pose a key challenge to the (Lebanese) government's monopoly on the legitimate use of force and all efforts to reassert Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.”

Ban also called for free and fair elections to choose a new president, stressing that the electoral process should be “conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence, in accordance to resolution 1559.”

Security Council resolution 1559 was adopted in 2004. It calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon and the disarmament of all militias, foreign or Lebanese. Resolution 1701 ended last summer’s war between Israel and Hezbollah and is meant to stop arms trafficking in Lebanon.

• united
• nations
• lebanon
• syria
• israel
• hezbollah
• secretary
• general
• ban
• ki-moon
• resolutions
• 1559
• 1701
• arms
• smuggling