Lebanon PM says restoring sovereignty requires strong state, single army

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he is fully aware of the challenges facing residents of southern Lebanon and the burdens they continue to bear amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

Speaking from the Benoit Barakat Barracks in the southern city of Tyre on Friday, Salam said, “I also know that restoring sovereignty can only be achieved by building a capable state, and a state cannot be capable without one strong army.”

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to remaining united, saying it was a constitutional requirement and a principle emphasized at the very beginning of its ministerial statement.

Addressing the Lebanese army, Salam urged its members to preserve the unity of the military establishment.

“Do not allow political interests to divide you, and do not allow the evils of sectarianism to infiltrate your ranks,” he said. “Recognize only the Constitution and the law as your reference.”

Salam also addressed the families of fallen soldiers, saying their sons were not only martyrs of the military institution but of the entire nation.

Salam stressed that the return of state authority to southern Lebanon cannot be completed through the army’s deployment alone. He said the government is also working to restore the state’s presence through schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water, public administration, the judiciary, job opportunities and reconstruction.