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Military Reform – 1991

In order to strengthen the armed forcesÕ control over territory, the Lebanese government ordered the deployment of the army in south Lebanon. As of 7 February 1991, as many as 2,000 Lebanese troops were deployed in south Lebanon and Bekaa area according to army commander general Emile Lahoud.¹

On 13 April 1991, it was reported that the Lebanese Forces, the Amal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party wanted to assimilate into the Lebanese state establishments a total of more than 36,000 Lebanese military and civilian militia members. The newspapers note that the Lebanese Forces (Christian militia) have submitted a list of 18,500 members, the Amal Movement 10,200 members and the PSP 8,500 members. The government has officially proposed the assimilation of 16,000 members in the state’s institutions, equally divided between Muslims and Christians.²

As of 2 July 1991, the Lebanese army completed its redeployment in south Lebanon and forced the PLO militias to flee to refugee camps. More than 10,000 armed personnel were deployed.³ It was reported that the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) set up a joint committee on December 24, 1991, to consider replacing the UN force in a region near the Israeli buffer zone in south Lebanon.⁴

1. “Lebanese Army Deploment in South Lebanon, Bekaa Completed,” Xinhua General News Service, February 7, 1991.
2. “Lebanon in brief; Three militias announce size of forces,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, April 16, 1991.
3. “Lebanese Army Completes Deployment in South Lebanon,” Agence France Presse, July 2, 1991.
4. “Army To Replace UNIFIL Troops in South Lebanon Villages,” Agence France Presse, December 24, 1991.