On the 48th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, President Joseph Aoun affirmed that Imam al-Sadr refused to let southern Lebanon remain a “forgotten region” or a negotiating card, and considered that the weapon that protects the land is the legitimate weapon of the state alone. Aoun stressed the work to achieve what the hidden Imam wanted, through the establishment of a strong and just state, and a south protected by its army and security forces, and by the strength of its people and the state together. He pointed out that the issue of the disappearance of Imam al-Sadr and his two companions is “an open national and humanitarian issue,” stressing that the state will continue to demand that the full truth be revealed about the fate of Imam al-Sadr and his two companions.