Beirut: President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, said Lebanon is working to fulfill Imam Musa al-Sadr's vision of a strong and just state, while ensuring the protection of southern Lebanon through the army, security forces, and the combined resilience of the people and the state.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Aoun's words came on the eve of the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, Sheikh Mohammad Yaacoub and journalist Abbas Badreddine. In a commemoration statement, Aoun assured that Lebanon will remain committed to remembering and honoring their legacy. He added that 48 years after the disappearance of Imam al-Sadr, the case remains an open national and humanitarian issue.
Aoun stressed that the Lebanese state and its institutions will continue to seek the full truth about the fate of al-Sadr and his two companions, describing it as both a right of the families and Lebanon's right to know the complete truth. He asserted that "Lebanon will pursue the case at both bilateral and international levels through all available diplomatic and legal means, honoring a responsibility that has not expired with time."
Aoun continued to state that "Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr was not merely a religious leader in the traditional sense, but a statesman and a unifying national figure who believed in a united Lebanon and rejected sectarianism as a tool of division." He added that "Imam al-Sadr promoted genuine citizenship as the foundation for coexistence and made the South a central platform for advocating the dignity and rights of its people and defending their land." He stressed that al-Sadr opposed treating the South as a "forgotten region" or a bargaining chip, and called on the Lebanese state to assume full responsibility for protecting the region and its people.
"Imam al-Sadr believed that only the state's legitimate weapons should be used to defend the country and that security is a shared national responsibility that cannot be confined to any one group," the President went on. He considered that Imam al-Sadr's positions remain particularly relevant as southern Lebanon continues to face Israeli attacks and violations of the cessation of hostilities, while residents endure ongoing hardship and daily sacrifices.
Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to ensuring that legitimate weapons remain exclusively under state control, and to extending the authority of the Lebanese Army across the country. He said these measures are aimed at implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and safeguarding Lebanon's full sovereignty. Aoun added that this reflects the vision of the disappeared Imam: a state capable of protecting its citizens and ensuring that the South is not left alone to confront threats.
Finally, President Aoun renewed Lebanon's commitment to the principles of Imam al-Sadr, namely preserving national unity, a strong and just state, and a protected South safeguarded by the Lebanese Army and security forces, alongside the resilience of its people and the strength of the state. He vowed that these principles will continue to serve as a guiding vision for Lebanon's efforts toward national recovery and advancement.