Some Lebanese Demand the Country's Governance be Given to France

Approximately 60,000 residents of Lebanon have signed a petition calling for the country to be placed back under French governance following a powerful explosion at the port of Beirut, according to Al Arabiya.

“The Lebanese authorities are evidently incapable of maintaining the country’s security and managing it. We believe that Lebanon should return under the French mandate to establish a clear and strong government,” the petition addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron states.

The petition was published on Wednesday, just ahead of Macron's visit to Lebanon. Macron arrived in Beirut and visited areas affected by the explosion, where numerous Lebanese greeted him, pleading for help in “putting an end to the corrupt regime,” accusing the authorities of bringing the country to disaster.

France obtained the mandate over Lebanon in 1923, but the country gained independence in January 1944 when France transferred its power to the Lebanese government.