Army Chief Urges Officials to Address Situations, Vows to Protect Stability

Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Monday called on political officials to address the deteriorating economic and financial situations while vowing to protect “stability and civil peace.”

“The army is part of this people and it is suffering alike,” Aoun said in a meeting Yarze with the army’s top officers.

“The dire political situation has reflected itself on all levels, especially economically, which led to a rise in the levels of poverty and hunger. The money of depositors is trapped in banks and salaries have lost their purchasing power, and accordingly the salaries of soldiers have lost their value,” Aoun added.

Addressing political officials, he said: “Where are we headed? What do you intend to do? We have repeatedly warned over the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of its explosion.”

Commenting on the protests that have been engulfing the country for a week now, Aoun stressed that the army “supports the freedom of peaceful expression, which is enshrined in the constitution and international conventions, but without attacks on public and private property.”

He also vowed that “the army will not allow harm to stability or civil peace.”

The army chief also lamented that “the army’s budget is being lowered every year” and that “the funds are running out before the end of the year.”