By KUNA,
United Nations : Expressing his solidarity with the Lebanese people and government, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “strongly condemns those responsible for the violence” in Lebanon over the last week and called for calm and restraint and an immediate halt of the violence.
“He calls on all parties to resume the national dialogue. Lebanon needs a political process which will result in the election of a president and a solution to the prolonged political crisis,” his press office said in a statement Monday.
The statement noted that the secretary-general “expresses his solidarity with the people and government of Lebanon, and other legitimate Lebanese institutions, including the Lebanese armed forces.”
It further said that the secretary-general “firmly supports the initiative of the League of Arab States aimed at finding a solution”.
It added that the secretary-general “calls for the upholding of the independence, sovereignty and integrity of Lebanon and the implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions” pertaining to Lebanon.
Armed Hezbollah supporters seized control of western Beirut late last week, raising fear that the country was once again on the brink of a disaster. Twenty-nine people were reported dead.