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Annan to follow up on ceasefire
28/08/2006 08:05 - (SA)
Beirut - UN chief Kofi Annan was due in Beirut on Monday to discuss the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the country as Hezbollah's leader vowed his militia fighters would not resist foreign troops.
Annan was to meet with Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and other politicians, and then spend the night in Beirut, Lebanese officials said.
He was expected to press leaders on Lebanon's need to police areas along the Syrian border from where arms are suspected of being funnelled to Hezbollah from Iran.
Ceasefire
He was also likely to stress to Lebanese leaders that they, rather than the UN, must ensure the militia abides by the ceasefire, and refrains from any operations in southern Lebanon.
A Lebanese source said at the weekend that Annan would underscore the need for "only the armed presence of Lebanese and UNIFIL soldiers" in Hezbollah strongholds in the south.
Hezbollah not opposed to UN forces
His visit comes as Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah said his fighters would not oppose UN forces deployed in southern Lebanon, but warned that the peacekeepers should not seek to take away Hezbollah's weapons.
"We have no problem with UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) as long as its mission is not aimed at disarming Hezbollah," Nasrallah said in an interview aired on Sunday night on Lebanese television.
Peacekeeping mission
Annan's visit follows Europe's pledge of up to 7 000 troops to form the core of a strengthened peacekeeping mission capable of enforcing the fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on August 14.
Half of the European Union troops are expected to be deployed rapidly, with some 200 French engineers and troops arriving at the weekend to pave the way for the larger UN deployment.
- AFP
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