The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
– ‘Attack on Lebanon’ –
Macron has stressed that Hariri should be able to return to Lebanon to confirm, or not, his resignation.
In his sharply worded resignation from Saudi Arabia, Hariri, 47, accused Saudi Arabia’s arch-rival Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country and the broader region.
The statement sparked concern that tiny Lebanon would be caught in the crosshairs of rising tensions between Riyadh and Tehran.
Lebanon’s president on Wednesday sought to allay those fears, telling citizens, “do not be afraid, whether economically, financially or in terms of security”.
While he was guarded in his first reactions to Hariri’s absence, Aoun has since stepped up the rhetoric.
“What happened wasn’t a resignation — it was an attack on Lebanon’s independence and dignity,” he said Wednesday, adding that Hariri’s absence represented “a violation of the international declaration of human rights”.
Aoun, 82, has yet to formally accept Hariri’s resignation and has said he will not do so before meeting him in person in Lebanon.
In his first media appearance since he stepped down, Hariri said on Sunday that he had freedom of movement and would return to Lebanon in the coming days.
He repeated the sentiment on Tuesday, publishing his first tweet in more than a week to insist he was “perfectly fine”.
European nations and the US have not pointed the finger at Saudi authorities directly, but have expressed public concern about Hariri’s absence and warned against attempts to interfere in Lebanon’s fragile democracy.
Lebanon has been buffeted for decades by conflicts between bigger players in the region such as Iran and Syria.
“What’s at stake is Mr Hariri being able to return home freely to clarify his situation in line with the Lebanese constitution,” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told parliament in Paris.
