On Thursday, Lebanon’s Defence Minister stated that the country was in a “very dangerous situation” and drew parallels between the latest riots in the streets and the beginning of the 1975-90 civil war.
One month after the start of nationally spread protests, Lebanon is in a difficult political and economic situation with no signs of its leaders coming to a consensus concerning new government to replace the outgoing cabinet of Saad al-Hariri, who resigned as Premier on October 29.
Despite the great scale of the economic crisis, the biggest since the war, leaders have not been able to come to a consensus regarding a new cabinet or to tackle the sufferings of demonstrators who say they have devastated Lebanon through corruption and sectarian cronyism.
Though the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, one protester was shot dead south of Beirut on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Elias Bou Saab, a political ally of President Michel Aoun, said tensions on the street and road closures “have reminded us of the civil war taking place in 1975, and this situation was very dangerous”.