Michel Aoun

Michel Naim Aoun (ميشال نعيم عون, ; born 30 September 1933) is a Lebanese politician and former military general who served as the President of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 until 30 October 2022.

In 1941, he was forced to leave the house where he was living, as it was occupied by British and Australian forces.

Born in Haret Hreik to a Maronite Christian family, Aoun joined the Military Academy in 1955 and graduated as an artillery officer in the Lebanese Army.

He finished his secondary education at the College Des Frères Furn Al Chebbak in 1955 and finished a degree in Maths.

He enrolled in the Military Academy as a cadet officer, and graduated as an artillery officer in the Lebanese Army three years later.

After his graduation, Aoun joined the Second Artillery Regiment in 1958, and was sent to France to receive further military training at Châlons-sur-Marne.

He finished it the following year, and was promoted to Second Lieutenant on 30 September.

He was serving during the failed coup of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party in 1961, and was decorated for that.

He was trained at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and became the Assistant of The Commander of the Second Artillery Battalion, the Commander of the Command and Service Company and Commander of the Administrative Detachment in 1970.

At the start of the civil war, Aoun was the commander of the Second Artillery Corps of the Army.

He took part in the Battle of Tel al-Zaatar, claiming that he developed and planned the siege of the camp and its storming.

He directed the attack, which resulted in destruction of it, and the Palestinian refugees being displaced.

In 1978, he went to France again for more military training at École Supérieure de Guerre.

In 1980, Aoun returned to Lebanon and was appointed later as the interim commander of the mainly Christian 8th Infantry Brigade, that is credited for protecting the Palestinian refugee camp of Borj Al Barajneh from the sinister fate of Sabra and Chatila, and fought against the pro-Syrian Druze and Palestinian militias at the Battle of Souk El Gharb during the Mountain War.

During the Israeli invasion, Aoun's office was at the Museum Crossing.

In 1984, he became the youngest Commander of the Army, at the age of 49 years.

He was promoted to General and appointed as the tenth Commander of the Armed Forces on 23 June 1984, succeeding General Ibrahim Tannous.

At the age of 49 years, he was the youngest Commander since the establishment of the position.

According to French journalist Alain Ménargues, Aoun had strong relationships with Bachir Gemayel and Israel.

He suggested that Aoun proposed to Gemayel signing a mutual recognition agreement between Lebanon and Israel along with a joint defense pact, and was accompanied by Israeli officers in his patrols.

He also had a meeting with Israeli Minister of Defence Ariel Sharon.

On 22 September 1988 during the fourth phase of the Lebanese Civil War, the departing President Amine Gemayel appointed him as the interim Prime Minister of a Military Government, after the parliament failed to elect a new president, and dismissed the current government headed by the Acting Prime Minister Selim Hoss.

This controversial decision saw the rise of two rival governments contending for power at that time, with Aoun being supported mainly by Christians and Iraq, while the other being supported by Muslims and Syria.

On 22 September 1988, 15 minutes before the expiration of his term, the outgoing president Amine Gemayel appointed Aoun as Prime Minister, heading a military government to be formed by six members of the Martial Court, three of which are Christian and three are Muslims.

He declared the War of Liberation against Syrian Army forces on 14 March 1989, opposed the Taif Agreement, refused to recognize the newly elected presidents René Moawad and Elias Hrawi, clashed with the Lebanese Forces led by Samir Geagea, and survived an assassination attempt on 12 October 1990.

On 13 October, the Syrian forces launched a decisive operation against Aoun, invading his strongholds including the Presidential Palace in Baabda and killing hundreds of Lebanese soldiers and civilians.

Aoun fled to the French Embassy in Beirut where he declared his surrender and was later granted asylum in France where he lived in exile for 15 years.

In exile, Aoun founded the Free Patriotic Movement, and advocated for the Syria Accountability Act by testifying in the US Congress.

In 2005, a chain of widespread demonstrations triggered by the assassination of Rafic Hariri erupted in Lebanon, resulted in the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country.

On 7 May, Aoun returned to Lebanon.

Aoun was elected to the Parliament for the first time in the same year, while his party won 21 seats in the parliament, forming the largest Christian bloc, and second biggest bloc in the Parliament.

In 2006, he signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah, starting a major alliance that has remained ever since.

Despite the bloody history with the regime of Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar al-Assad, Aoun visited Syria in 2008, ending his long rivalry with Damascus.

In 2016, Aoun reconciled with Geagea after signing the Maarab Agreement, and was endorsed by the Lebanese Forces, Future Movement, Progressive Socialist Party as well as Hezbollah to become the thirteenth President of Lebanon.

He is the oldest president, taking office at the age of 83 years.

After his election, he was sworn in and succeeded Michel Suleiman.

In 2019, the country descended into chaos with a popular uprising, bringing millions of Lebanese in Lebanon and abroad to take to the streets, mainly caused by the liquidity crisis, political corruption and sectarianism.

With family origins from Haret el Maknouniye, Jezzine, Aoun was born in the mixed Christian-Shiite suburb of Haret Hreik, to the south of Beirut.

His father was Naim Aoun who worked as a butcher, while his mother was Marie Aoun, a Lebanese woman who was born in the United States.

His family was generally poor.