On August 6, 2020, two days after the explosion at the port of Beirut, French President Emmanuel Macron said the words that the upset population wanted to hear while walking through the wounded streets of the city: “We need a transparent and clear international investigation”.
This appeal rebounded against the wall erected by the presidency of the Lebanese republic, which rejects the formation of an international commission of inquiry: technical assistance was welcome, but as part of an internal investigation to be completed as soon as possible. Two years later, the Lebanese investigation has stopped. Blocked by political obstacles, the judges are unable to move forward. In addition to interference, the survival of the investigation also depends on resources: the investigators work almost alone and with an extremely limited budget. The French president is aware of this situation.
Some UN experts have also made a request similar to yours. “An international investigation would provide the families of the victims with the answers that the Lebanese authorities have not given,” said the experts. For example on why ammonium nitrate ended up in the port of Beirut and the cause of the fire that caused the explosion. According to Aya Majzoub, of Human Rights Watch, France’s inertia is explained by the fact that the international community does not want to take a decision that could “threaten the stability of Lebanon”. “But it is precisely the lack of justice and accountability that could lead to instability,” says Majzoub.
France’s position fuels criticism of Paris’s willingness to spare the Lebanese political class and in particular Hezbollah, which is doing everything to thwart investigations. NGOs are aiming for a more realistic path. “We are asking for a commission to establish the facts. Then it will be up to the Lebanese to decide the next step ”, Majzoub recalls. sm
Caroline Hayek will be in Ferrara on 30 September with the Lebanese writer Lina Mounzer and the Lebanese artist Barrack Rima. Introduces and moderates Francesca Gnetti of Internazionale.