Lebanon and Syria sign agreement after border tensions

Lebanon and Syria have reached an agreement on border demarcation and cooperation after a month of tension and clashes along the frontier, reports AP on March 28th. 

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the deal was signed at a meeting in Jeddah attended by Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra. 

Both sides agreed on the “strategic importance to demarcate their border” with the creation of overseeing joint committees, and to “activate coordination mechanisms” to take care of potential security challenges at the border, with Saudi supervision.

Over the past month, violent clashes have erupted along the Syrian-Lebanese border after Syria’s interim government accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah group of penetrating into Syrian territory, abducting three soldiers and killing them. The Lebanese government claimed they were smugglers. 

As a result, both authorities have been closing smuggling routes along unmarked parcels of the nearly 400 km-long border.

Hezbollah has denied being involved in the incident, with reports pointing the responsibility of local clans in the border region not directly involved with the Lebanese group, but engaged in cross border smuggling.

This comes as the new Syrian interim government looks to strengthen its grip over the Syrian territory after the fall of the 54 years-long Assad clan rule in Syria, finding Hezbollah – a former ally to the Assad regime – at its borders.

The border has also witnessed population displacement with around 10,000 members of the Syrian Alawite minority crossing into Lebanon after being victims of deadly sectarian clashes in northwest Syria. 

Syria is also affected in its southern border with Israel, after Netanyahu’s government moved to occupy a swath of Syrian territory for an unlimited amount of time, as it claimed jihadist groups in Syria represent a potential threat for Israel’s security. 

AP News.