ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Lebanese Youth Movement (MKG)

The Lebanese Youth Movement (LYM), also known as the Maroun Khoury Group or simply MKG, was a Christian militia that fought during the 1975-77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War. Founded in 1969 by Maroun Naim el-Khoury and his brother Jean, sons of the former head of Kataeb Party's section in Dekwaneh district of East Beirut, Naim el-Khory, the organization was initially created as an association of mainly Maronite students who opposed the PLO presence in Lebanon.

The MKG sent 200 male and female members to a secret training camp at Kfour, Keserwan District, in 1973. The organization developed its own slogan and anthem: "We work to deserve Lebanon" (نعمل لنستحق لبنان). During this pre-conflict phase, the Lebanese Youth Movement joined forces with Al Tanzim to support the Army against the Palestinians, aiming to cut off communication between refugee camps used by the PLO.

As the conflict escalated, the MKG's military strength grew from an initial 500 armed members to approximately 1,500 militiamen by April 1975. The organization was supported by a small mechanized force consisting of former Lebanese military personnel and civilians equipped with obsolete weapons, including heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles.

In August 1976, the MKG took part in sieges and subsequent massacres at Palestinian refugee locations in Dbayeh (Matn District) and Karantina, Al-Maslakh, and Tel al-Zaatar in East Beirut. The organization's members were known for wearing necklaces made from human body parts cut from their victims.

The Lebanese Youth Movement played a significant role during the first phase of the Lebanese civil war, participating in battles such as the Battle of the Hotels in 1975. In 1976, they joined the Lebanese Front coalition led by Bashir Gemayel, son of Falanges leader Pierre Gemayel. Along with other militias, including Kataeb and Tigers (Ahrar), the MKG participated in a series of assaults against Palestinian refugee camps.

The organization's involvement in the conflict eventually came to an end as it disbanded during the war.