What Will Aoun Say in New York About Justice?

Nida Al Watan, Lebanon, August 4

What will the president of the republic, Gen. Michel Aoun, tell United Nations officials during his upcoming speech before the General Assembly? When Aoun stands in front of the leaders of the free world, will he tell them about the ongoing investigation into the catastrophic crime that took place in August 2020, almost two years ago? Will he explain to them how justice is still being obstructed and no one has been held accountable to date? Many things will happen between now and September 20, when Aoun will travel to New York. Chief among them is the fate of the indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel over the demarcation of the two countries’ maritime borders. The United Nations has a key role in enforcing any border agreement, which President Aoun may address during his visit, especially if he meets Secretary-General António Guterres. However, the key issue that will come up is Aoun’s scheduled meeting with the UN’s Human Rights Council, where several international organizations concerned with human rights in Lebanon formed an international fact-finding committee for the Beirut Port disaster. If the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva responds to these organizations’ request to form the committee, what will Aoun say before the General Assembly? What will the Lebanese president tell the International Support Group for Lebanon – comprising the permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, Italy, the European Union, and the Arab League – about the judiciary’s decision to halt the investigation into the August 4 disaster? Does Aoun expect the victims’ families, and those who were injured and wounded in the explosion, to simply absolve the Lebanese government of any and all responsibility? –Walid Choucair (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)