BEIRUT: Qatar has revived its role as mediator in negotiations to free 25 Lebanese servicemen being held by jihadi groups in Qalamoun, spurring positive developments in the long-drawn-out case, a senior security source told The Daily Star.
The source, tasked with following the issue, confirmed that the government has resumed talks with the Nusra Front primarily, and that positive signs had led to encouraging results.
The source did not elaborate on the nature of the new developments but cited the recent resumption of Qatari mediation as a factor, adding that members of the crisis cell, the government committee that follows the hostage case, had been briefed on the matter, including Prime Minister Tamam Salam.
While security sources were tight-lipped about the nature of talks, Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, an informal mediator close to the Nusra Front, told The Daily Star that an initial agreement had been reached between the government and the militant group.
Qatar had formally ended its mediation in December after the Nusra Front executed Lebanese policeman Ali Bazzal. The killing provoked outrage from the captives’ families, who complained of government passivity over the now 7-month-old hostage crisis.
The case of the captive soldiers and policemen held by both the Nusra Front and ISIS since August has since been shrouded in secrecy after the prime minister criticized media leaks by officials, saying they harmed talks. At least 37 servicemen were originally abducted by the militants during a five-day battle with the Lebanese Army. Eight hostages have since been released and four were killed.
Hujeiri said the government and the Nusra Front resumed serious negotiations earlier this month, efforts that led to “a preliminary agreement that will make way for the release of the Lebanese servicemen.”
“There is one small complication left but when that is resolved the next step would be the implementation of the deal,” Hujeiri said.
Hujeiri did not disclose the nature of the obstacle hindering the accord, but he said it would require consensus among Cabinet ministers to reach a deal.
Hujeiri also hinted that government consent over the issue might require some time, as Salam’s Cabinet is currently mulling over a new decision-making mechanism to govern amid a presidential vacuum.
Since the post became vacant last May, the Cabinet has been exercising the presidents powers under a system which requires the 24-member body to unanimously approve decisions and decrees, markedly reducing its productivity.
Clarifying the role of ISIS, the Arsal-based sheikh said mediation efforts with the group was “suspended,” and that the government was dealing primarily with Nusra.
The agreement with Nusra came after the group reportedly softened its demands for the release of the hostages. The group has controversially demanded the release of Islamist inmates in Roumieh prison in return for the captive servicemen, but may have settled for those accused of minor offenses.
Hujeiri said that the government was still waiting for a complete list of names of prisoners, after receiving some names from Nusra of the inmates it wants freed in exchange for the hostages.
Hujeiri said the government has displayed a new willingness to negotiate. “It has come much closer to accepting militants’ demands than at any time in the past,” he said.
The positive turn in the talks was evidenced recently after the families of captives were permitted to visit their sons in Arsal’s outskirts earlier this month.
The captors had halted family visits for a brief spell when negotiations with the government had reached a stalemate.
Hasan Youssef, the father of captive Mohammad Youssef, received a phone call from ISIS militants authorizing him to visit his son last week, a breakthrough he believes is tied to the negotiations moving forward. “We have seen signs the negotiations are going well,” he said.
Late last month, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who is heading negotiation efforts, said that positive signs on the Lebanese hostage crisis had emerged recently. “It seems that there are positive signs on the part of the kidnappers to end the crisis,” Ibrahim said. “We are working on conditions and counter-conditions, and we hope we reach a happy ending.”
No comments:
Post a Comment