Lebanon: Government decides to disarm the Hisbollah

The Lebanese government has decided to disarm all militias including the HISBOLLAH. Before the decision, Minister of the Hisbollah and the allied Amal movement with it in protest left the cabinet session.

The Hisbollah had previously declared that no disarmament has been agreed as long as Israel did not stop its almost daily attacks and that Israeli troops were further stationed in posts in the South Libanon.

Minister of Information Paul Morcos said after the meeting that the cabinet “had approved the goals set out in the American document”, the US envoy Tom Barrack had presented the document. The US plan provides for a complete disarmament of the Hezbollah militia until the end of 2025. The cabinet approved the time frame, but transferred a plan to the Lebanese army.

Minister of the Hisbollah and the allied and also Shiite Amal movement with it left the session. It was a protest against the government’s consent to the full US discharge plan, said Minister of Labor Mohammad Haidar. The Hisbollah is close.

Critics of the plan believe that such a decision without the consent of Shiite representatives is possibly unconstitutional. In addition to Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims form the largest population group in the country. In the denominationally split Lebanon, power is traditionally divided into religious groups according to a proportion system.

The US sent Barrack congratulated Prime Minister Nauaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and the Council of Ministers on the “historical, brave and correct decision”. The decisions of the cabinet are a first concrete step to implement the principle “a country, an army”.

The demand for disarmed the Hisbollah is politically risky for the Lebanese government. It is feared that the country could slip into another political crisis if Hisbollah members leave the government in protest.