Lebanon had no reconciliation process after the civil war that ended in 1990. That is why tensions keeps rising to the surface and why Lebanon is sensitive to developments in neighbouring countries. Lebanon is a compartmentalised society with 18 different confessional communities. The sectarian system is fixed in the constitution. The president must be a Christian, the prime minister a Sunni, and the Speaker of the Parliament a Shiite. Parliamentary seats are divided over various religious groups. When the system no longer reflects the demographic conditions in society, tension rises and power struggles occur. Once the Syrian struggle turned into a war, Lebanon became entangled in the conflict. Some groups of the population support the Syrian opposition while the Lebanese Hezbollah fights alongside Assad’s troops.
Contact information
Marjolein Wijninckx, wijninckx@paxforpeace.nl