Frances Guy

Visits

I have noted before that visits are hard work but also very rewarding.  This week's visit by the Foreign Secretary was both!  It was very short which made the timing very tight and gave him no opportunity to see anything of the country.   Any Embassy would prefer a little more time to get visitors out of the capital city and away from political talks.  No country can truly be understood inside those confines.  But any visit, however short, can give you new insights.   We achieved our objectives: to offer our clear public support for the Doha agreement and President Sleiman, encourage the early formation of a national unity government and talk about practical support for the security forces and to help with Palestinian refugees.  But more importantly the Foreign Secretary heard first hand from the Lebanese their concerns about the current political situation, their hopes for peace in the wider region and the importance of dealing with the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. 

And - we managed to squeeze in a quick meeting with Embassy staff which always helps.   We all like to know who we are working for!

Posted at 11:22 11 June 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]

8 June. Visitors

Yesterday President Sarkozy wowed Beirut. Security was tight. The roads around the Presidential palace were closed a good 30 minutes in advance but there was good humour.  Sarkozy after all had arrived with a large number of ministers and with most of the leaders of the French opposition. It was a powerful message:  all of France with all of Lebanon. He had lunch with all the members of the national dialogue.  Pause at this point. Until Doha these people had not met with each other for nearly 18 months. They had been hurling abuse at each other across the TV channels. The photograph was powerful. All of France with all of Lebanon. 

Today David Miliband arrived to show our solidarity too with this new chapter in Lebanese history. I am struck by the difference from the last visit by a Foreign Secretary when Margaret Beckett came in December 2006. Then no-one from protocol dared come to the airport because there had just been a massive pro-opposition rally downtown, tents were going up to start the sit-in and the crowds were surrounding the Prime Minister's office. We were even not sure at one point whether we would get through to see the Prime Minister at all. 

Today there are press at the airport. The acting Foreign Minister is there to greet us and all goes according to plan. Downtown looks "very European".  Well, yes but the clientele are Arab and it is arak and hubbly bubbly that is consumed along with the world's best oriental salads.

Lebanon the land of tremendous contrasts. The mosaic that should be preserved as the symbol of harmony for the world as one of our interlocutors puts it.  Oh but this harmony is so fragile, it demands so much work to keep it from falling apart. But perhaps too that is the lesson for the world...  harmony needs hard work.  Let all the visitors keep coming to Beirut to show how much we care!!

Posted at 09:20 09 June 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

Cluster Bombs

Michael Williams the Prime Minister's special envoy for the Middle East visited Lebanon on 4/5 June.  I took him round a lot of politicians but we also went to south Lebanon and had an up to date briefing on the programme to rid the area of the cluster bombs that were dropped by the Israelis during the 2006 conflict.  Michael is an old Lebanese hand and his knowledge of the country and its politics is profound.  But he was impressed by the work being done by the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre.  The visit was timely because a draft treaty on cluster bombs was agreed last week by 111 countries in Dublin and the UK can justifiably be proud of the role we played in ensuring the treaty was agreed by announcing our own intention to cease using these weapons.

But there is nothing like a visit to southern Lebanon even nearly 2 years later to see the damage caused. We visited an area still being cleared.  That morning 4 unexploded bombs had been found.  Michael had the pleasure of blowing one up.  But that destructive force could easily have maimed or killed a child playing in the orange grove in which it had fallen.  Nearly 90% of the cluster bombs dropped in southern Lebanon were dropped during the last three days of the conflict in August 2006 AFTER the text of a Security Council Resolution on cessation of hostilities had been agreed but BEFORE it was officially passed.  I knew this before but it is always shocking to be reminded of it.  40% of the cluster bombs failed to explode although they are designed to explode on impact.  It is this failure to detonate that makes them so dangerous, hanging around in trees or on the ground waiting for an innocent passer by.  And it is this failure rate that has persuaded 111 countries that these weapons are particularly inhuman and should no longer be used.   Those dropped in southern Lebanon are either Israeli or American. Unfortunately neither country was present in Dublin last week But like the landmines treaty before it let's hope that this one too grows in moral force so that no one else needs to suffer. 

Posted at 09:44 08 June 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

27 May Mondialogo

While the politicians try to sort out a new PM and a new government, diplomats can get on with other business. 

Today it was a pleasure to visit the school of Notre Dame Jamhour.   Their 4th year class equivalent (2nde in the French system) have been participating in a global project run by UNESCO called Mondialogo. The project links up schools all round the world and they share information on each others' countries and carry out a joint project.  Notre Dame Jamhour were linked with Mandville in London and have been working together on a project about Child Labour.  The photo shows the students wearing the T-shirts designed by Mandville.  Notre Dame students went to Tripoli in Northern Lebanon to interview child workers.  They found many reluctant to talk but they found others willing to explain why they were working and not at school.  Most of them earned a pittance but few seemed really unhappy.   All were illiterate and had dropped out of school for a variety of reasons.

It was a good little piece of sociological research well presented in English and French by pupils whose first language is Arabic.   The school director said a few perfect words about the place of such a project in today's globalised world demonstrating that youth can reach out and learn from each other.  And then we had tea and cake.. proudly presented.  One of the students apologised for not having made scones...   I am intrigued by what pupils share.   Twenty Lebanese schools are participating in Mondialogo.  Others are linked up with schools in Africa and South America.    To  know that UNESCO are encouraging such contacts gives me increased hope for the future of the UN.    I leave enthusiastic.

Posted at 14:21 27 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]

25 May 2008

Election and Inauguration of General Michel Sleiman as President of the Republic of Lebanon.  Just the sort of official occasion where it is a real honour to be a diplomat.  It is a tremendous priviledge to be present at such a historic moment.   Lebanon has survived without a President for 6 months but it has been hard going.  And under the last President the office itself fell into disrepute. 

President Sleiman has a very difficult task. As the symbol of the unity of the nation, he has to help keep a potentially squabbling national unity government together.  He pledges to start the debate on a national defence strategy to consider the future of the arms of the resistance.   He commits himself to try and make Lebanon a country where young people want to stay not to keep emigrating.  He is solemn and dignified and looks a bit tired round the edges.

I enjoy saying hello to old friends who have come to attend the ceremony: Abubaker el Kirby the Foreign Minister of Yemen, Hoshyar Zebari the Foreign Minister of Iraq.  I enjoy too watching the diplomatic comings and goings - the Iranians with the Saudis, the French and the Egyptians,  which Lebanese politicians come to greet which Arab leaders.   The Prime Minister of Qatar beaming at everyone.

We stand in a long queue to greet the new President, two lady ambassadors squashed between the commander of UNIFIL and the envoy from the Vatican.  We thought we couldn't be better protected.  Both managed to get to the President before us.  And we thought we were both pretty bolshy ...  obviously no chivalry these days.   

I hand over a message from Gordon Brown which gets broadcast in its entirety in Arabic within 15 minutes.  I thank our press officers for a good piece of work.  

The night sky is filled with fireworks..  Long live President Sleiman.. may God give him strength. 

Posted at 12:55 27 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

May 24...back to the wine...

 As soon as the tents were lifted from the downtown sit-in on 22 May people moved back into the streets, me included.  Joy in the streets as life returned to this centre of town deserted for 18 months.   Spare a thought for the restaurant owners.   The restaurants have been closed for at least a year, longer in some cases.   They have no staff, nothing in the stores, the fridges long switched off and the staff long left for the Gulf.  But from 22 May some of them managed to serve more than 200 lunches and dinners.. how?  That's the Lebanese genius. The press reckon up to 40 restaurants will re-open by the end of a week, and a further 30 within the month if the situation holds.   Others have been closed for good. required about 4000 staff.... 

The diplomatic community had the pleasure of a lunch at Ksara - to enjoy more of the wines of the Beka'a. The cellars are set in natural caves which probably date back to the Romans but which were rediscovered at the end of the 19th century by the Jesuits. Since then they have been used to age wine.   Ksara is one of the bigger wine producers in Lebanon and expanding all the time.  Like others more than 50% is for export.

Pictures of General Sleiman are beginning to sprout along with Lebanese flags everywhere.  A bit hesitant I would suggest to believe that after 6 months there will really be an election  tomorrow.  But the signs are there.. The important guests are arriving and those of us who live near the Ministry of Defence can confirm that the army signalled their farewells to their commander with a stream of military music, a pleasant change from the sound of bullets.   Tomorrow a new era for Lebanon can begin.

Posted at 12:45 27 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

The Doha agreement

You will have understood that I am a radio fan.  Voice of Lebanon starts its news broadcast about 5.50 am with a summary of news before handing over to the BBC Arabic service for half an hour. It is a perfect way for a foreign ambassador to wake up!  This morning they started with "congratulations Lebanon.  Greetings to all. It is time for a new beginning and there is nothing that sums it up better than the national anthem".  My kids told me I was a bit too emotional when I told them how moving I thought this was over breakfast.  The Lebanese national anthem is all that an anthem should be, moving, patriotic and a jolly good tune.   But its sentiments are rarely translated into reality on the ground.. if only "the nation" was able to transcend all other loyalties.

But today is a day of celebration.   The streets of Beirut are full. The tents downtown are being dismantled.  The politicians have promised to elect a President soon and to form a new unity government.  We had cake and coffee in the Embassy watching the Prime Minister of Qatar reading the Doha Agreement.  The depression of recent days was immediately lifted.

Yes it is fragile.  Yes it is the same politicians who will have to implement it and make sure it lasts. But it is a good beginning.  And the heart of Beirut should be reclaimed by everyone as soon as possible, peacefully and joyfully.  I think a little emotion is totally merited!

Posted at 14:08 21 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[2]

Beirut gets back to life

Beirut gets back to life.  The politicians are in Doha. When they left the airport yesterday protesters outside held placards with signs in English and Arabic saying 'If you don't agree don't come back". It is a sentiment shared by many. My bodyguards ask me if there is going to be peace. What can I say? yes at least for a while?? and is there any hope for this country?? there has to be, the world depends on it. And no I am not exaggerating. If Lebanon can't regain a form of mutual respect, mutual co-existence and mutual compromise there is little hope for our multi-confessional and non-confessional world. But... these same politicians in Doha have only been able to stop the violence temporarily so far.. Why should anyone expect more now?? We will all dare to hope and to encourage the Qataris in their honourable quest to bring back that co-existence. And one final question please (there are never final questions.. but still) what about the 100 or so who have been killed over the last week or so? Why did they die? I can't answer that one except to hope that somehow their deaths will help others avoid the same fate..

Posted at 10:13 21 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

15 May - a step forward (or backward?)

Last night the government of Lebanon revoked the two decisions that provoked the current crisis. The streets were immediately filled with celebratory gunfire(how I wish this practice could stop, it's bad enough having people killed in clashes between gunmen on the streets but imagine the horror of a close friend or relative being killed by celebratory gunfire.. it happens too often).

The Arab League delegation will announce later what other progress can be made to resolve the political deadlock. At best there will be some process of continued dialogue and we might see the road to the airport unblocked. That will give a psychological boost to many Lebanese.

I hope they succeed in introducing some calm but the touch paper has been lit and Lebanon will be ever more fragile for some time to come. Probably what is really needed is a new constitutional settlement but no politician will be brave enough to start that discussion in the present domestic and regional climate. So those of us in Lebanon will pray for the best sticking plaster for the present disaster and then work hard to prepare the ground for something more concrete in future.

Posted at 13:57 15 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]

General Strike - 10 May - day 4

The voice of Lebanon radio played Ya Beirut by Fairuz this morning before the eight o'clock news.. so poignant it made me feel like weeping and I never saw Beirut before it was destroyed in the civil war.. oh Beirut let us not return to that agony. City pretty divided today. It is nevertheless still possible to cross from East to West and vice versa and there are some brave joggers out on the corniche managing just that. But other areas are still tense and the army presence and that of Hizballah is pretty evident. Today fighting seems to break out in the rest of the country - a sign of how fragile this place is. Some small room for hope offered by the Prime Minister (not everyone will agree but there is a small opening there if the opposition want it). The army try to capitalise on it... Let's pray for a relatively quiet night.

Me? I did a quick tour of some politicians and fellow diplomats with mixed results.. and checked all the staff were ok, also with mixed results some haven't managed to get home for a few days.. that's when you realise that post war Europe is something we should treasure...

Posted at 10:55 13 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]

General Strike - Day 2 confrontation continues

The great thing about Beirut is its freedom of the press. It makes the job of diplomats so much easier. Yesterday and today it has been easy to get different views of the on-going crisis from all the active journalists reporting frantically to their different TV stations and all those same stations speaking to politicians of all shades. The problem is keeping up with all the information. Sad then to learn of some journalists being spat on, chased and intimidated by the crowds.In this declining disorder these limits of respect need desperately to be maintained.

Airport closed. A few desperate visitors looking for alternative ways home. Still possible via Syria but problems on the roads seem to be increasing throughout the country. Meanwhile trying to find some politicians from different sides that are speaking to each other rather than speaking to journalists seems difficult. The real danger is that if they don't set an example, the armed youths on the street will take things into their own hands even more and we will enter a cycle of violence that becomes more and more difficult to stop.

Posted at 13:19 08 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[5]

General Strike - confrontation in the streets

The Trade Unions called a general strike for 7 May to complain against the government's failure to respond to their call for a significant rise in the minimum wage. The resonance is worrying. Last year on 23 Jan 2007 , a similar strike led to road blocks, burning tyres, no access to the airport and deaths at some flash points.

6 am.. the day starts calmly. No black clouds on the horizon - that was the first sign of trouble last year. Army presence on main roads into town.

But by 8 am clear that opposition road blocks are also in place and it is difficult to move around. I make it to the Embassy but no-one else does.. So we try and work mostly from home. For some this is easier than others. Visa section are clearly the most affected and a backlog will soon mount if we are closed for long.

By 11 am the official demonstration is called off by the unions, blaming in part the army for preventing would be participants from moving around. Government ministers point out that the only areas of trouble are controlled by the opposition.. and so it goes on for most of the day...

Real problems in some areas of town, with outbreaks of gunfire and violent clashes.

And from an Embassy's point of view a real issue with the closure of the roads to the airport. No violence here but mounds of earth blocking the roads that will need physical removal. Three or four plane loads of passengers arrive.. some of them brave the 500 yard walk past the roadblocks and get home. Most wait at the airport.. but as sun sets it is not clear how long this will last or how it can be solved.. logically it ought to be possible to negotiate a way out... but no signs of that being tried for the moment.

All EU embassies advise the same: don't move around and stay away from the airport.

Dare to hope that we can be aim for business as usual tomorrow but airport stand-off might continue.

Posted at 09:56 08 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

Jacks of all trade..

I mentioned before the demand for after-dinner speakers in Lebanon. In part it is a result of the amazing number of Rotary and Lions clubs which exist thanks to the very vibrant private sector. The Lions Club of Jounieh, just north of Beirut, are planning to launch a campaign against under-age drinking. To set the scene they invited me and the Belgian Ambassador to talk about experiences in our own countries. Of course I am no expert, neither is he. But because diplomats are expected to be able to be Jacks of all trades, we do our best. I discover, of course, that because the issue is a big one in the UK, because of binge-drinking and the phenomenal rise in consumption amongst under-17s, there are many studies that have been done over the last few years that can be drawn upon. The picture is not a pretty one, and the image of British society is an awkward one to speak about, but there are also constructive ideas to offer on tightening up on points of sale, and education campaigns. After I finish the amount of wine consumed over dinner goes down dramatically... !

Irony then that the next day I am invited by the owner of Chateau Musar to taste his wine. On this I am even less of an expert. But 50% of Chateau Musar's exports are to the UK and the winery has developed some white wines specifically for the UK market (don't you admire Lebanese ingenuity?) so there is some commercial interest. Luckily being a runner, I am a good spitter and I discover the joys of tasting wine without swallowing. I understand why Musar is popular. And learn that some of their white wine is a blend of indigenous grape varieties grown on Mount Lebanon, and harvested much later than the much more prevalent imported varieties grown in the Beka'a valley. These grapes produced wine 4000 years ago that was exported to Rome. Much of the produce is organic, where Musar see a growing market in Europe and are lucky to be able to employ local labour to weed the vines, rather than using pesticides or machinery. The result is warm and welcoming.. not classic words to describe a wine.. but then, I am no expert.

For more details...www.chateaumusar.com.lb

Posted at 11:36 01 May 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[0]

15 years is too long to hide in toilets.

April 13 marks the anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war in 1975. This year there have been a number of events to mark the occasion and to remind us all that a repetition should be avoided at all costs. There was a peace demonstration organised by a cross denominational group of more than 40 NGOs on 13 April itself - everyone was represented, Christians, Muslims, Druze, young, old, ex-militia, current militia, those who would never join a militia. Transitional Justice brought the Vice Chairman of the South African Reconciliation and Truth commission to speak and meet political leaders. He was powerful and persuasive. The cases are not the same but there are always lessons to be learnt about reconciliation and how to recognise the past and move on. The PLO have been actively promoting reconciliation between Palestinians and groups they fought with in the civil war and held a public meeting on 15 April with key Christian and Druze representatives. And in the heart of downtown, on a piece of waste-land there is a display of 500 toilets - to remind people of all those years spent hiding behind toilets to avoid sniper fire and to act as a theatre for other events. Lebanese civil society and imagination is alive and well and a beacon of hope in this political quagmire.

Posted at 08:17 22 April 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[2]

Southern Lebanon

Lebanon is a small country, smaller than Yorkshire in total area but its charm is its diversity: its social, political, cultural and geographical diversity. Today I went to Khiam in southern Lebanon. In Khiam most of those who are currently living there have seen their houses destroyed four times, most recently of course in 2006 when the Israelis destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Khiam and damaged many more.

Amidst all the talk of a renewed war of the last few weeks, exacerbated by the Israeli defence exercise this week, it is good to to see the reality on the ground. The amount of reconstruction going on is impressive. A year ago the signs of destruction were paramount in many places south of Nabatiya but today it is the number of new buildings and half-built buildings which is impressive. Apparently some of the Arab donors who gave money to help the people in the south rebuild have cleverly given the money in instalments against evidence of rebuilding, ensuring that the work is actually taking place. Pity that the re-building is disorganised and that local municipalities have not taken the opportunity to try and introduce some planning but maybe in the aftermath of war that is what often happens.

Nevertheless only about 8,000 people are now living in Khiam, a town of a supposed population of 30,000. LIke many places in the south of Lebanon it has become a weekend town. We meet a man who left after the Israeli invasion of 1982 and who has lived 10 years in the United States, and now nearly ten years in Brazil. He is back on holiday visiting his mother. He has just bought an apartment in Beirut - daring to hope that at some point in the future he might be able to reconstruct his life in Lebanon. His uncle teases him that it will be his children that might benefit - insha'allah. Our host tells us a joke about how God cried when a former Lebanese President asked him when there would be peace in Lebanon. But they are all still building houses. They dare to hope.

Southern Lebanon is beautiful. It is a landscape of rolling hills, olive groves, plentiful water, a still snow covered Mount Hermon in the background: Provence squashed up against the Alps as my husband put it... no wonder all those generations who have left are still attached to the land, and keep building. One of the other uncles explains that it is their attachment to the land that helped end the Israeli occupation in 2000.

PS Khiam is, of course, famous for the detention centre used by the Israelis when they occupied south Lebanon. Between 2000 and 2006 it was a museum, dedicated to those who had been tortured there. When war broke out on 12 July 2006 Khiam Prison it was one of the first places destroyed by the Israelis.

Posted at 13:50 18 April 2008 by Frances Guy  |  Comments[1]