Arab foreign ministers reject use of arms, violence to jeopardize peace in Lebanon

Arab League Council sends ministerial committee to Beirut to ponder conflict-stopping solution

Council condemns rebellion, terrorism, supports Sudan against Justice & Equality Movement

The Arab League Council of foreign ministers issued a resolution on means to contain the Lebanese crisis in which it voiced the Arab countries' outright rejection of recent developments in Lebanon, particularly the use of arms and resorting to violence in a way jeopardizing social national peace there.

Saudi Arabia's delegation at the meeting was headed by Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

The council, in its resolution, asserted rejection of the use of armed violence to attain political objectives outside the framework of constitutional legitimacy and called for ending all armed activities on the Lebanese streets and settlement of the current Lebanese crisis in a way preserving for each and every sect or group its effective role in the Lebanese equation.

The council also welcomed the announcement by the Lebanese army commanders to undertake the issue of the airport security and the communications network and also the government's mandate to the army to shoulder the responsibility of protecting public security and appeasing the situation.

The council stressed as well the need to open and secure the Beirut international airport immediately in order to restore air navigation traffic for travelers in or out the country.

Moreover, it laid an emphatic stress on the Arab initiative to consider it as the basis for any solution.

The council decided to form a ministerial committee under the co-chairmanship of the prime minister of Qatar and the Arab League Secretary General with membership of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Djibouti and Yemen.

It appealed to the speaker of the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies (parliament), the prime minister, the majority and the opposition to attend a session with the committee to discuss the developments and means to urgently implement the Arab initiative.

The council asked the committee to visit Beirut while the Arab League Council is kept in permanent convention to follow up the developments, calling for immediate halting of acts of violence and exchange fire in Mount Lebanon areas.

An urgent statement by the council, read out by the Arab League's Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ahmed Bin Helli, pointed out that the council, considering the serious situation in Lebanon, is making an urgent call for stopping all armed activities, withdrawal of gunmen from tension-stricken areas and facilitate the Lebanese army's mission in order to stem the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, the council issued a resolution regarding the "terrorist" assaults on the Sudanese capital Khartoum, stressing the Arab League's support for efforts by the national unity government to realize peace, security and stability all over Sudan.

In its resolution, the council denounced the "terrorist" operation waged by the rebel Justice & Equality Movement (JEM) led by Khalil Ibrahim with the aim of destabilizing Sudan, calling on JEM to renounce all forms of violence.

The council demanded full commitment to good neighborliness and urged neighboring countries to stop supporting any armed groups using their territories as a springboard to threaten Sudan's unity, security, stability and territorial integrity.