The current UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon needs “to go,” President Donald Trump’s envoy to the United Nations said.
– “We’re reforming the way peacekeeping is done,” US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz said.
– In an interview published by the Financial Times on Friday, Waltz said the United States wanted to end the peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Somalia and Western Sahara.
– The first Trump administration was vehemently opposed to the mandate of UNIFIL, which was established in the 70s on an interim basis but continues to operate until this day in southern Lebanon.
– Critics have long argued that the peacekeeping force does not have the mandate needed to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah militants to enforce UN resolutions. UNIFIL has also failed to prevent repeated wars between Hezbollah and Israel.
– “We think it’s time to go,” Waltz said, adding that Washington was conducting “active consultations” with France, Israel, Lebanon and other countries on what a future peacekeeping mission might look like.
– “But the current form UNIFIL will not continue, or, we do not believe it should continue,” he added.