FORTY years ago this year, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established with a three-month mandate in response to the outbreak of vicious intercommunal fighting on the island. By June 1964, there were 6,500 UN troops in Cyprus.
They’re still here, but today’s much smaller UNFICYP, the longest serving peacekeeping mission in the world, is about to face what is probably the most important shake-up in its long history monitoring the island’s 180-km buffer zone.
Speculation is rife that drastic reductions are on the cards or even a withdrawal of troops, something that President Tassos Papadopoulos said on Thursday would be a mistake.
But as far as Papadopoulos and the Cyprus problem are concerned, the world has moved on following the Greek Cypriot rejection of UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan’s reunification plan.
Annan wants a review of UNFICYP by September, and it’s clearly not just about cost-cutting, because if his peace plan had been accepted on both sides, the 1,200-strong force would have more than doubled.
Many see the move as yet another swipe at the Greek Cypriot side, which feels it’s being punished by the international community, particularly the US and Britain, for its ‘no’ vote in April’s referendum.
To some, it does not appear logical: the status quo is still the same, and since Annan has already recommended renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate until December 15, what could have changed to warrant the review, which is likely to increase, rather than decrease, Greek Cypriot security concerns.
But the international community says things have changed, from the opening of the checkpoints in April 2003, to Turkey’s new conciliatory attitude, to Cyprus’ EU accession, which makes it the only member state with a UN peacekeeping force on its soil.
“The review is to see what if any changes are required in the light of changing circumstances such as the referendum results and the change of attitude in the north. It’s not a punishment,” said one diplomat.
“It’s not to ascertain whether there should be a peacekeeping force on the island — that is established. The aim is to review its size, its composition, and how it’s deployed,” said a second.
“The force is needed to maintain the ceasefire in any case. That much the Secretary-general has said in his report. It’s to see whether in light of positions adopted by the two sides and the Security Council’s review, any change is needed.
“It should bear in mind that the implicit central purpose of all peacekeeping operations is to provide an environment conducive to the resolution of conflict,” Annan said in his report, obviously implying that in Cyprus, this may not be the case. But he said he remained convinced that, “in the absence of a comprehensive settlement, the presence of UNFICYP on the island continues to be necessary for the maintenance of the ceasefire”.
Political analyst James Ker-Lindsay said the UNFICYP review was probably just part of the overall assessment being made on Cyprus by the international community.
“Let’s face it, maintaining a peacekeeping force is an expensive business, although the Republic of Cyprus contributes to those costs,” he said. “A large part is also borne by member states of the UN who might feel their money would be better used for other conflicts or humanitarian situations rather than having to man what is essentially a very quiet line.”
Ker-Lindsay said he believed that because EU-Turkey relations seemed to be on the right track, the international community might think it was looking at a more stable environment in Cyprus where such a large force would be unnecessary and could maybe be downgraded to an observation force.
“There will be undoubtedly be people that will regard this decision as yet further evidence that the UN is determined to punish the Greek Cypriots, but I think there are other reasons why member states would like to see some sort of review,” he said, citing views that perhaps the EU could take on a greater burden of the costs.
“It’s a rather unusual situation having a peacekeeping force in an EU member state and I think there is a feeling that events are changing and the prospect of a conflict on Cyprus seems to have diminished,” he said.
“However, we have to see what happens in December. If Turkey is for any reason rejected for an accession date, there will be concerns and it could lead to a return to heightened tensions. In view of that, one wonders why the review has to be done quite so quickly.”
Greek Cypriot analyst Andreas Theophanous, head of Intercollege’s Research Centre, is one who believes the move is a pressure tactic.
“Annan is trying to put pressure. He is getting orders and it’s not the first time,” he said hinting at US and British intervention. “I am not surprised by Annan. His report was unbalanced. My suspicion is he is trying to make it look as if the Turkish occupation troops are not part of the problem. He wants to take Turkey off the hook.”
Theophanous said UNFICYP was an important issue, but not the most important one because Greek Cypriots feel much more secure since joining the EU.
Former Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos agreed. “I think we can manage, because I don’t see any kind of threat. Since accession, everything is quiet now. I don’t think there would be a problem,” he said. “Maybe it’s just their way of saying ‘find a way to solve the problem’.”
Alecos Markides, the former Attorney-general, said that for the past 30 years UNFICYP’s renewal had always been a matter of course. “I think they want to deliver a message that the matter of UNFICYP should not be considered as something that will remain on the same footing for the next 30 years,” he said.
Despite the feelings that tensions have been almost non-existent for over a year, it is not that long since people died along the buffer zone. In 1996, two people were killed, one beaten to death and one shot dead in Dherynia during protests, both incidents which could have escalated had UN troops not been there to step between the two sides.
But UNFICYP also failed to act four years ago when Turkish troops moved their positions forward by around 300 metres at the buffer zone village of Strovilia, now one of the four crossing points to the north.
Former Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said it would be difficult to predict what would happen if incidents did occur. “I believe that UNFICYP serves a very good purpose by staying in Cyprus because it de-escalates any possible event that may happen with misunderstandings on the buffer zone,” he said.
“I think they have been doing their job fine and there is no tension any more but they are still necessary.”
Cassoulides also said it would be risky to go ahead with reduction in numbers if Turkey doesn’t get a date for EU accession negotiations in December.”
“Let’s hope the review will go in the right direction,” he said. “Of course there is going to be one very big question. Who gets control of the buffer zone?”
Composition of the Force
Troops: Argentina 403, Britain 386, Slovakia 276, Hungary 122, Austria 6,
Ireland 4, Finland 3, Canada 1 (The Argentine contingent includes soldiers
from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay)
Civilian Police: Ireland 20, Australia 15,India 7, Netherlands 4
Cost of the Force
The UN General Assembly appropriated $43.8 million for the maintenance of UNFICYP for the period from July 1 2003 to June 30 2004, which included the voluntary contribution of one third of the cost of the Force, equivalent to $14.6 million, from the Government of Cyprus and the voluntary contribution of $6.5 million from the Government of Greece.
Annan’s proposed budget for the maintenance of UNFICYP for the period from July 1 2004 to June 30 2005, which amounts to $47.4 million, is currently under consideration by the General Assembly.
Activities of the Force other than maintenance of the ceasefire line
1. Support for the Mines Technical Adviser, who is preparing for the clearing of minefields in the buffer zone due to commence in the summer.
2. Humanitarian activities such as visiting members of both communities living on the opposite sides
3 Assisting the orderly movement of civilians and vehicles through the buffer zone at authorised crossing points.
4. Facilitating bi-communal events and helping restore religious and cultural heritage
5. Assisting the Committee for Missing Persons
Their good deeds over the past six months
The force observed air violations increase from 49 in the last six months to 67; 20 were by Turkish military aircraft, 2 by Greek military aircraft, 13 by Cypriot police helicopters and the remaining 32 were of unknown origin.
It attended to, monitored and followed up on more than 50 cases of unauthorised crossings, thefts, traffic violations, accidents and unauthorised photography since April 23, 2003. The Greek Cypriot side pressed criminal charges in 16 cases involving Turkish Cypriots in the south and the Turkish Cypriot side pressed criminal charges in 38 cases involving Greek Cypriots in the north. The force also collaborated in 32 cases of medical evacuations from the north to medical facilities in the south.
UNFICYP also facilitated 138 bi-communal events at the Ledra Palace Hotel, bringing together 7,300 Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
It was involved in obtaining permission for elderly Greek Cypriots to return to their homes in the north and assisted eight Turkish Cypriot families in the south to obtain birth certificates and other documentation as well as housing and medical care facilities.
UNFICYP also facilitated a project funded by the United Nations Office for Project Services, which started in February 2004 to restore a historic Venetian Castle in the mixed village of Pyla.
It also approved requests by Turkish Cypriots to modernise and expand their farms and a request by a Greek Cypriot to build a house in the civil-use area within the United Nations Protected Area, as well as facilitating the annual visit of Greek Cypriots to St. George’s Church in Varosha to commemorate St. George’s Day.
