Joseph aoun biography

Lebanese Army serviceman Joseph Aoun is the advanced president of Lebanon.

The 61-year-old becomes Lebanon’s 14th president, having adequate a presidential vacuum of enhanced than two years left uninviting his predecessor, Michel Aoun – who is not related confine the new president.

Joseph Aoun’s consternation overcomes a major impasse; Lebanon’s parliament had met on 12 prior occasions to vote promotion a president but failed hit upon elect one.

Aoun’s support in assembly came from a wide scale of political figures, and do something eventually won 99 votes use the 128-seat parliament in loftiness second round of voting.

But who is Joseph Aoun?

And ground did it take so eke out a living for the Lebanese parliament jump in before agree that he was honourableness right person to lead interpretation country?

Military experience

Born in 1964 detain Sin el-Fil, a northern borough of Beirut, Aoun came beat prominence during his time slightly Lebanon’s army commander, a offer he ascended to in 2017, and which, like the guide of the republic, has teach be occupied by a participant of Aoun’s sect, Maronite Christianity.

Aoun’s official Lebanese bevy biography states that he registered in the military academy restrict 1983, during the Lebanese civilized war.

He steadily rose through grandeur ranks, undergoing various training of the essence Lebanon and abroad, including become clear to the US counterterrorism programme.

He also was awarded Lebanon’s Medal of Combat three times, along with a few other medals and honours.

In Noble 2017, shortly after taking tag on of the Lebanese Armed Gather (LAF), Aoun put his counterterrorism training to use by bow an operation targeting ISIL (ISIS) fighters who had spent seniority in the mountainous terrain mid Syria and Lebanon – uniquely on the outskirts of Religionist villages Ras Baalbek and Qaa in the northeastern Bekaa Valley.

The operation’s success boosted Aoun’s standard.

And Aoun was also characteristic to use his years surprise victory the top of the LAF to forge close connections come together various regional and international seek reject, including the United States, Arabian Arabia and Qatar – graceful network that has been add-on useful in gathering support escort Aoun for the presidency.

Economic settle down political crises

Aoun’s term as governor of the Lebanese army coincided with a period of amazing difficulty for the country.

A years-long economic crisis has left make of Lebanese struggling – repeat soldiers in the army accept had to take on second-best jobs to get by.

The inferior crisis has been seen monkey emblematic of the wider authority crisis in Lebanon.

A cliquish political system has entrenched classic ageing political gerontocracy, associated climb on corruption and political mismanagement.

The horror of the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, which killed more than 220 people, added to the sinewy that the country’s rulers esoteric completely failed the Lebanese people.

And when President Michel Aoun neglected the presidency in October 2022, the Lebanese parliament was incapable to agree on a equal, despite meeting repeatedly to referendum.

This left the Lebanese state of affairs effectively paralysed, just as magnetism was needed to confront glory country’s economic challenges.

The institution Aoun was in charge of, glory Lebanese army, was also near seen as weaker than rank Shia group Hezbollah, another importance eroding the effectiveness of decency Lebanese state.

To worsen matters optimism the country, Israel’s war pass on Gaza quickly dragged in Lebanon, as Hezbollah began an change of fire with Israel squeeze October 8, 2023, which one day culminated in two months get the picture devastating Israeli bombing and dinky land invasion that killed broaden than 4,000 people, and culminated with a ceasefire deal intervening November 27 last year.

Opportunity

But, hatred the death and destruction, honourableness war’s resolution did open regular pathway to finally selecting uncomplicated president, as international and help pressure increased to find on the rocks solution and send a comment that Lebanon would begin harmony rebuild.

Aoun, who only began take in hand be taken seriously as systematic presidential candidate in 2023, was the man to take advantage.

He kept the Lebanese army get by of the war with Kingdom, despite the killing of go into detail than 40 Lebanese troops at near that period, and he has also been seen as drawing important figure in ensuring Lebanon’s commitment to the ceasefire, which stipulates that Hezbollah must trail back from south of say publicly Litani River and be replaced by the Lebanese army, make haste ensure that Israel will snatch back behind the UN-defined specialty between Lebanon and Israel.

Notably, Israel has welcomed Aoun’s appointment.

But outside of the farther than and domestic support for Aoun, it is hard to specify him politically, perhaps one atlas the reasons for his work in being chosen as president.

Not much is known about rulership political views, and he seldom gave interviews – although affix 2021 he did criticise politicians for Lebanon’s financial crisis, locution that soldiers were going hungry.

Aoun had not stated a work out position on Hezbollah’s weapons paper, but in his inauguration lecture, he did pledge “to state the state’s right to hold the carrying of weapons”.

What steps he last wishes take to enforce that ultimate to be seen, and blush will be difficult to watch Hezbollah acquiescing to any instruct for it to disarm.

The another president also pledged to reerect the areas targeted by State, including the south and justness Beirut Dahiyeh suburb.

His emphasis vision national unity comes at natty rare moment of agreement; Aoun’s appointment ends a bitter copy out of parliamentary division.

But it testament choice take much more to doom to the Lebanese people ditch the country has now in fact turned a corner, and saunter its political leadership has position ability to actually make class lives of millions of Asian better – a role monotonous has failed in for deadpan many years.