In the heart of Beirut, a symbol of life and resilience stands tall—a newly planted olive tree. Yet, this tree represents more than nature’s endurance; it stands as a poignant testament to Lebanon's unresolved and heart-wrenching crisis of the missing and kidnapped. This profound symbolism was the intention of the "Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped and Missing in Lebanon," who yesterday planted the "Tree of the Missing" near the Lebanese expatriate statue at the Port of Beirut.

On the International Day of the Disappeared, designated by the United Nations on August 30 each year, the Committee mobilized under the banner "Let’s Plant the Tree of the Missing... And Planting Continues." This act is deeply symbolic, as the Port of Beirut has become a harrowing symbol of Lebanon's greatest humanitarian crisis, or more accurately, a crime against humanity since the tragic explosion on August 4, 2020. The olive tree now stands as a stark reminder of the demand for justice and the revelation of the truth about the perpetrators.

The struggle of the Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped is a mirror to Lebanon's larger woes. For nearly half a century, promises have been made, yet they have failed to heal the deep wounds or lead to a serious investigation to uncover the fate of the disappeared and missing. The committee intended the "Olive Tree of the Missing" to be a permanent symbol of hope and true peace, a call for justice and reconciliation. This initiative follows the planting of seven other olive trees in locations symbolizing the cause of the missing and detained, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Zahle, Bebnine, Tripoli, Nouwateh, Al-Azounieh, Kamid el-Loz, and the Gibran Khalil Gibran Garden in front of ESCWA. These sites have witnessed significant movements and struggles of the families, continuing for 42 years.

"We are in a land of wonders. The families of war victims meet with the victims of peace, and both are abandoned by the state," Wadad Halawani, the committee's president, told Annahar. 

"Why is the investigation forbidden? Why is accountability forbidden? And why is the judiciary paralyzed?"

Four years ago, the collective pain brought together the families of the port explosion victims and the Committee of the Families of the Kidnapped, uniting some of their movements under the slogan "Justice and Reconciliation." Their latest joint initiative took place at the "House of Beirut" just a week ago.

"We want to know how to mourn our loved ones," Halawani lamented, echoing the sentiments of the families of the port explosion victims who have not yet found peace and demand the truth about who killed their relatives.

Six years ago, on November 13, 2018, the Parliament passed the "Law on the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared." The law's most significant provision was the establishment of the "National Commission for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared," endowed with the authority to investigate cases of enforced disappearance, obtain and document information, supervise the identification of burial sites, exhume remains, identify them, and return them to relatives. It enshrines the right of all victims' relatives to know the truth without discrimination.

The families had to wait another two years for the commission to come into existence. On July 3, 2020, Former President Michel Aoun signed the decree forming the commission. Since then, progress has stalled. The law mandates cooperation between competent authorities to exchange information related to the search for the missing or forcibly disappeared, determine their fate and identity, and provide this information to the commission. However, no official Lebanese movement has been made to implement this mandate. Instead, the presidential vacuum has paralyzed the authorities, shelving the issue once more.

Neither Aoun, who was supposed to champion this cause, succeeded in making any breakthrough, whether by opening channels of communication with Syria or with Lebanese parties involved and complicit in the issue. Internal circumstances, from the catastrophic port explosion to the severe economic and financial crises, have also not helped. Instead, these crises have relegated the issue of the disappeared to the bottom of the priorities.

Moreover, the Lebanese government's actions at the United Nations General Assembly in July 2023, when it abstained from voting on an international bill to establish an "independent institution to uncover the fate of thousands of missing persons in Syria," was a devastating blow to the families. This decision—or lack thereof—fell like a bombshell on them.

Despite this pattern of neglect and indifference, the Lebanese authorities' response to the families' pain remains inadequate. According to the law on enforced disappearances, Lebanese authorities must cooperate with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Lebanese Red Cross, and other humanitarian bodies to improve the search for the missing or forcibly disappeared. The commission is mandated to contact Lebanese or foreign authorities and request documents or information deemed useful for its duties. These authorities are expected to respond promptly.

However, in practice, nothing has been done. The issue remains forgotten except by those directly affected. For the commission to operate independently, the authorities must provide it with the necessary material and moral resources.

The families continue to commemorate and remind the public at every opportunity, while the law remains unapplied. It is as if the law is buried.

Halawani laments that "demanding justice has become forbidden in our country, and justice is missing." She insists, "Our demand today is very clear: enforcing the Law on the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared."

Three critical issues stall the case of the disappeared:

1. Lack of Official Support: Local official bodies do not endorse the issue as they should, or as the law mandates.
2. Lack of Party Accountability: Lebanese parties involved in the war have absolved themselves of the accusation of involvement without providing documents or remains, thus undermining true reconciliation.
3. Lack of External Cooperation: External channels, notably Syria, do not cooperate, and the Lebanese authorities have made no effort or pressure to compel them to act.