Lebanese politicians in show of unity after sectarian murders

Walid Jumblatt may be one of the more charismatic figures in Lebanese political life but when he tells his people to avoid violence, they do as they are told.

And so another sectarian killing - the murder of a 12-year-old Sunni boy and his neighbour, their bodies dumped outside Sidon on Thursday night - was transformed into a reminder that the post-civil war Lebanese can remain united.

Both boys were associated with Mr Jumblatt's largely Druze Progressive Socialist Party but he was the first to call for a government inquiry.

Ziad Ghandour and Ziad Qabalan were "martyrs for national unity'', he said alongside members of the Sunni and Shia clergy. "Let's keep this away from politics, let the judicious process take its course and stop the malicious rumour-mongering.''

Mr Jumblatt even held out a hand to his Hizbollah opposition, thanking them for denouncing the murders and claiming that both himself and Hizbollah were "united by a struggle and resistance (to Israel)''.

The Christian ex-president Amin Jemayel, whose politician son Pierre was assassinated in November, even hoped that these recent killings might persuade government ministers and Hizbollah to return to talks after months of crisis following the withdrawal of Shia ministers from the cabinet.

The week's murders have thus again proved that Lebanon can resist the anger of civil conflict. But there had better be no more.

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