The Special Coordinator met this afternoon with the ambassadors of the permanent members of the Security Council to discuss recent developments with regard both to UNSCR 1701, on which the Secretary-General will soon issue a further report, and to the situation in Lebanon.
After the meeting Special Coordinator Plumbly made the following statement:
I would like again to emphasize the important role played by the Lebanese security and armed forces in sustaining Lebanon’s national unity and sovereignty. I and the ambassadors were unanimous in deploring the recent challenge to the rule of law in Sidon, and attacks on the Lebanese Armed Forces there and elsewhere. We extend our sympathy to the commander of the army and to the families of those who have been killed in the fighting. We stress the importance of the protection of civilians, and look forward to the early restoration of order in the city. We are at one in our support for the President of the Republic, for the institutions of the state and for the security forces, and in particular the army, at this difficult juncture. We stress the need for all concerned throughout the country to work with them to ensure the security and stability Lebanon’s people deserve, and to keep Lebanon safe from conflict.
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