21/08/2020

Lebanese President Aoun calls for formation of technocratic government to prevent foreign intervention

BEIRUT — Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for the formation of a new government composed of competent Lebanese figures in order to prevent foreign interference in the country following the resignation of Hassan Diab’s government over the explosion at Beirut’s port that killed at least 177 people, injured over 6,000, and left 300,000 other homeless.

In addition to the arrival of aid and missions from several countries to help Lebanon financially and participate in an investigation over the cause of the explosion, French warships arrived illegally in the Lebanese territorial waters. The French warships did not come at the request of the Lebanese government, nor by a U.N. Security Council resolution.

Analysts believe that the reason for the warships’ arrival is growing French–Turkish tension in the Mediterranean region, in addition to the Greek–Turkish–Cypriot tension. These are political and economic tensions since France considers the Mediterranean as a region of its own interests.