Joseph Aoun (footballer)

Joseph Khalil Aoun (; ; born 10 January 1964) is a Lebanese politician and army general who has served as the 14th president of Lebanon since 9 January 2025. He has previously served as the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and is the fifth commander elected president.

Early life and education

Aoun was born on 10 January 1964, in the Beirut suburb of Sin el-Fil in the Metn District, the child of Hoda Ibrahim Makhlouta and Khalil Aoun. He completed secondary school at the Collège des Frères Mont La Salle. His family is originally from the town of Al-Aaishiyah, Southern Lebanon.

Aoun enrolled at the Lebanese American University to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science and international affairs, which he earned in 2007. He also holds a bachelor's degree in military science from the Lebanese Army Military Academy.

Military career

Aoun joined the Lebanese army in 1983 and enrolled in the military academy during the Lebanese civil war. He trained abroad, especially in the United States and Syria. He also underwent counter-terrorism training in the United States in 2008 and Lebanon in 2013. He became head of the army's 9th Infantry Brigade in 2015.

Lebanese Civil War

In 1990, Aoun served as a lieutenant in the Lebanese Army's Commando Regiment () under leader Bassam Gergi at the Adma barracks. In the 1990 Elimination War, two hundred commandos loyal to General Michel Aoun were trapped in their base in Adma wa Dafneh by Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces militia (LF) until a truce was arranged to allow their evacuation. Gergi was killed and Aoun took over leadership within the unit.

Commander of Lebanese Armed Forces

In 2015, Aoun was appointed commander of the 9th Brigade deployed on the border with Israel. On 8 March 2017, the Lebanese government appointed him commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), replacing Jean Kahwaji.

Aoun led battles against the Islamic State campaign in eastern Lebanon, where hundreds of Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front militants were entrenched on the border with Syria. On 19 August 2017, he commanded the Jroud Dawn Operation, a successful offensive to expel the militants from their strongholds.

Following protests in Lebanon and the political deadlock, General Aoun spoke out on 8 March 2021 criticising the Lebanese liquidity crisis and its impact on the military. His speech went viral on social media.

On 15 December 2023, the Lebanese parliament voted to extend Aoun's term for one year, which was mainly endorsed by the Lebanese Opposition, the Amal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party. During this time, he led the LAF through the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. On 28 November 2024, parliament voted to extend his term a second time.

Political career

Aoun's possible presidential candidacy was first raised by Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in July 2022 who suggested that he would make a good successor to Michel Aoun. Qatar declared support for his candidacy during a visit by officials as they vowed to support the army with financial and military aid; the United States followed with support.

In December 2022, a five-nation group was formed by the Doha envoy which involved the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to hold talks and resolve the presidential vacancy in Lebanon in which most countries affirmed their support for Aoun's election.

Walid Jumblatt was the first to officially announce, in 2024, that the Democratic Gathering bloc, which he leads, would elect him. On 9 January 2025 opposition groups including the Kataeb party, the Renewal Bloc, and the Lebanese Forces issued a joint statement in support of Aoun.

Presidency (2025–present)

Election

On 9 January 2025, Aoun was elected president in the second round of the electoral session. In his inaugural address, he vowed to fight the mafias, drug trafficking, interference in the justice system, corruption, poverty, and sectarianism. He also stated that he would promote economic, political, and judicial reform. He also said: "The Lebanese state – I repeat the Lebanese state – will get rid of the Israeli occupation", while also vowing that he would work "to affirm the state's right to a monopoly on the carrying of arms".

His election was criticized by some opposition members as unconstitutional who argued that the Lebanese constitution bars a sitting army commander from being elected president as stated in article 49 of the constitution, a ban that has been waived multiple times, which prompted some MPs to place a protest vote. However, a precedent was set in the election of Michel Suleiman in 2008 when a sitting army chief was elected president with a two thirds majority in Parliament, the number required to amend the constitution, despite no actual amendment of the constitution by Parliament similar to what happened with the 1998 election of Emile Lahoud.

Inaugural Speech

After Joseph Aoun was elected President of Lebanon, he delivered a speech before the Lebanese Parliament, expressing his positions on several key issues for the country and outlining commitments for the future, including:

* Judicial independence, improving the work of public prosecutions, conducting judicial appointments based on integrity and competence, and strengthening the Judicial Inspection Authority.
* Separation of powers and oversight, rejecting laws and decrees that do not serve the public interest.
* Appointing a prime minister to ensure the continuity of public services, prioritizing national unity over sectarianism, and embracing global progress rather than being trapped in past conflicts.
* Restructuring public administration, rotating senior public positions, and appointing regulatory bodies to restore the state's authority and uphold the dignity of civil servants.
Aoun also addressed controversial issues among the Lebanese people, such as:

* Affirming the state's exclusive right to bear arms, emphasizing that military power should remain in the hands of the Lebanese Army.
* Establishing strong relations with Arab nations and forming strategic partnerships with the Levant, the Persian Gulf, and North Africa. He also called for serious dialogue with Syria to address unresolved matters, particularly border control in both directions and non-interference in each country's internal affairs, as well as resolving the Syrian refugee crisis.
* Maintaining openness to both East and West, forming alliances, and strengthening Lebanon's foreign relations with friendly nations and the international community.

Cabinet of Nawaf Salam

In one of his first acts as president, Aoun nominated Nawaf Salam, the head of the International Court of Justice, as Prime Minister of Lebanon after winning the majority of votes by the members of parliament. Hezbollah's parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad stated that Hezbollah "extended its hand" by helping to secure Aoun's election only to find the "hand cut off" accusing the opposition of fragmentation and exclusion from power in Lebanon. Salam and Aoun's election is seen as a manifestation of Hezbollah's diminished influence in Lebanese politics, partly due to the group's military and financial losses in the conflict with Israel and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Aoun formally appointed Salam as Prime Minister on 8 February 2025.

Disarming of Hezbollah

Hezbollah, facing regional pressures and internal challenges, expressed willingness to discuss its armament, contingent upon Israel's withdrawal from contested territories in southern Lebanon and the cessation of military strikes. Aoun emphasized direct talks between the presidency and Hezbollah to establish "modalities" for transferring weapons to state control. He stated that he aims to make 2025 the year of "state monopoly on arms". The Lebanese Army, under Aoun's direction, was tasked with confiscating weapons and dismantling unauthorized military facilities in southern Lebanon. This is in line with the ceasefire agreement following the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which requires the army to extend state authority and remove all unauthorized arms caches and outposts, regardless of the group controlling them.

Personal life

Aoun is married to Nehmat Nehmeh. They have two children, Khalil and Nour. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

His son, Khalil Aoun, is a basketball forward, currently playing for Antranik, and played in his career with Champville, Hoops Club and Louaize.

He is not related to Michel Aoun, his predecessor as both President of Lebanon and Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, although both are Lebanese Maronite Christians. Under the National Pact, the President and the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces are always selected from the Maronite community.

Honors

Notes

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aoun, Joseph
1964 births
Living people
People from Mount Lebanon Governorate
Presidents of Lebanon
Lebanese Maronites
Lebanese generals
Independent politicians in Lebanon
Lebanese expatriates in the United States
Lebanese expatriates in Syria
Military personnel of the Lebanese Civil War
Lebanese American University alumni
20th-century Lebanese military personnel
21st-century Lebanese military personnel
21st-century Lebanese politicians
Grand Cordons of the National Order of the Cedar
Extraordinary Grades of the Order of Merit (Lebanon)
Officers of the Legion of Honour