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Annan Recommends 6-Month Extension of UN Force in Lebanon
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday recommended extending the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) through January 2002, while calling on all parties in the region to respect the line of Israeli withdrawal, known as the Blue Line.
"The situation along the Blue Line, except in the sector adjacent to the Shab'a farms area, remained generally calm," said Annan in a just-released report to the Security Council. "Most of the violations of the line were minor and quickly corrected once UNIFIL had raised them with the party concerned," he noted.
At the same time, the report cites recent events involving exchanges of fire which wounded Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian soldiers as evidence that the dangerous situation potentially threatens the stability of the region.
The U.N. chief stressed that it is of paramount importance that all parties concerned respect the Blue Line as called for by the council, cease all violations and desist from any action that could serve to destabilize the situation.
Attacks across the line in the Shab'a farms area were the greatest cause of concern, while the persistent Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace have created additional tension, according to the report.
UNIFIL was created in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore the international peace and security, and help the Lebanese government restore its effective authority in the area. It currently has 237 military personnel.
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