File: Lebanese anti-government protesters scuffle with security forces in the Gemayzeh neighbourhood during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron on August 6, 2020, two days after a massive explosion in the Beirut port shook the capital. The blast caused massive destruction and killed at least 113 people, heaping misery on a country in crisis.
But he also warned that the country -- already in desperate need of a multi-billion-dollar bailout and hit by political turmoil since October -- would"continue to sink" unless it implements urgent reforms. The IMF urged Lebanon -- which is seeking more than $20 billion in external funding and now faces billions more in disaster costs --"to put in place a meaningful programme to turn around the economy" following Tuesday's disaster.Macron's visit to the small Mediterranean country, a French protectorate during colonial times, was the first by a foreign head of state since the disaster.
Another woman implored Macron to keep French financial aid out of the reach of Lebanese officials, accused by many of their people of rampant graft and greed.Macron later told BFMTV he was not presenting Lebanon's leadership with a"diktat" after some of the political class criticised his remarks as interference.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab and President Michel Aoun have promised to put the culprits responsible for the disaster behind bars.But trust in institutions is low and few on Beirut's streets hold out hope for an impartial inquiry.
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