Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Saturday that the national army is the only protector of Lebanon's unity, sovereignty, and independence [1, 2].
This statement comes amid ongoing security challenges and tensions along the country's borders. By emphasizing the military's role, Aoun is asserting the primacy of state institutions over non-state armed groups and reinforcing the necessity of a centralized defense strategy.
The remarks were delivered during an official celebration in Beirut marking the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Lebanese military institution [1, 2]. During the event, Aoun said the army deployments along the southern border should be reinforced to counter threats to national security [1, 3, 4].
Aoun said that there is no legitimacy for any weapons outside the state and that there is no protection for the homeland except through its national army [3]. He framed the military as the essential pillar for stability, noting that the institution serves as the sole guarantor of the nation's independence [1].
Addressing the broader political and security landscape, Aoun said that the only way forward for the country is through a single army, a strong state, and constitutional institutions [4]. This position underscores a push for the state to regain a monopoly on the use of force within its borders — a long-standing point of contention in Lebanese internal politics.
The celebration highlighted the army's historical role in maintaining order. Aoun's focus on the southern border specifically addresses the need for a visible and capable state presence to deter external aggression and maintain internal stability [1, 3].
“The army is the sole guarantor of Lebanon's unity, sovereignty, and independence.”
President Aoun's rhetoric signals a strategic effort to consolidate security authority under the Lebanese Armed Forces. By explicitly denying the legitimacy of non-state weaponry, the administration is challenging the status quo of armed factions operating within Lebanon, while simultaneously seeking to strengthen the state's territorial control over the volatile southern border.
