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United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

May 05, 2023

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions.[2] Major General Ingrid Gjerde is the current Force Commander of UNFICYP, appointed in 2021, and preceded by Cheryl Pearce (Australia).[3] Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu (Finland) is the current Senior Police Adviser appointed in 2021.

United Nations
Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
UNFICYP peacekeepers patrolling the buffer zone.
AbbreviationUNFICYP
Formation1964
TypePeacekeeping force
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersBlue Beret Camp, Nicosia International Airport
Head
  • Elizabeth Spehar (Canada), Head of Mission & Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus [1]
  • Major General Ingrid Gjerde (Norway), Force Commander.
  • Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu (Finland), Senior Police Adviser.
Parent organization
Department of Peacekeeping Operations
WebsiteUNFICYP Home page

Following the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d'état and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the United Nations Security Council extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war, and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo. Since its establishment, the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute.

Initially, UNFICYP consisted of military and civilian contingents drawn from Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. However, over its long history the force has been the subject of various UNSC resolutions and reorganisations, and currently comprises contingents from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, El Salvador, Ghana, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

As of 2018, the mission has a strength of 1,009.[4] The mandate for UNFICYP was last renewed on the 30th of January 2023 and extended until 31 January 2024.[5]

History

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions.[2]

Following the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d'état and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war, and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus, and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo. Since its establishment, the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute.

On 5 December 2006, the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended a further six-month extension in the mandate of the UN mission that has been deployed on the island for over four decades. Mr. Annan said that while the situation remained "calm and stable with no major violations of the ceasefire lines," he regretted the continued stalemate in the political process and the "missed opportunities" over the past 10 years.[citation needed]

Fatalities

Up to and including 30 June 2017, UNFICYP has suffered 183 fatalities:[6][7]

  • Accidents: 99
  • Illnesses: 45
  • Malicious acts: 15
  • Other: 24

Deployment

UNFICYP is headquartered from the Blue Beret Camp next to the abandoned airport of Nicosia. The current force commander is Major General Ingrid Gjerde of Norway, (UNFICYP) Force Commander of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.[8]

Prior to 1974

 
UNFICYP deployments as of December 1972.

Upon UNFICYP's arrival on the island, the national contingents were each assigned a sector, which mostly coincided with the boundaries of the civil districts:[9]

When, in October 1973, the Irish contingent was withdrawn from Cyprus in support of the United Nations Emergency Force during the Yom Kippur War, the Austrian contingent was relocated from Paphos District (which was subsequently absorbed by the British contingent) to Larnaca District to replace them, with the Western half, which had previously been patrolled by the British contingent, absorbed into the Austrian sector.[9]

Canada in UNFICYP – From 15 March 1964 to 15 June 1993, Canada maintained a battalion-sized contingent of peace-support troops in UNFICYP. During this period, the Canadian contingent went through 59 rotations and some 25,000 CAF personnel completed six-month tours on the island. With Denmark, Ireland and Finland, Canada was one of the four original contributors of troops to UNFICYP, committed by the government of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson on 12 March 1964. The lead elements of the initial rotation of the Canadian contingent arrived on 15 March 1964, followed by a brigade headquarters, the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, and a Reconnaissance Squadron from The Royal Canadian Dragoons mounted in Ferret scout cars that were transported to Cyprus by HMCS Bonaventure. By 1993, when Canada withdrew its combat arms contingent from UNFICYP, every infantry battalion of the Regular Force had deployed to Cyprus at least once, and Regular Force artillery and armoured regiments had reorganized for infantry duties to take their turns. The current contribution are small numbers of staff officers on one-year rotations. The operation name “Snowgoose” dates from July 1974, when the Canadian contingent in UNFICYP — originally made up of 1 Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment, and the Airborne Field Squadron (the combat engineer element of the Canadian Airborne Regiment) — was rapidly augmented by 2 Commando and 3 Commando in response to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that began on 20 July 1974.[10]

Since 1993

 
UNFICYP deployment as of 2015
 
The Argentine Contingent's San Martin Camp

As of 31 May 2012, the total strength (military personnel and civilian police) of UNFICYP is 926 individuals. The 858 military personnel are from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Hungary, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia,[11] Slovakia and the United Kingdom.[12]

On 31 October 2019, Ghana began contributing to the peacekeeping forces in Cyprus.[13]

UNFICYP's military personnel are mostly divided up into national contingents, with each major contingent being responsible for one of the buffer zone's three remaining sectors. The Argentine contingent includes soldiers from the Argentine military forces, including the Argentine Army and the Argentine Marines, as well as from Brazil, Paraguay and Chile; whereas the Slovak contingent includes soldiers from Croatia.[12]

  • Sector 1 starts at Kokkina exclave and covers approximately 90 kilometres to Mammari, west of Nicosia. It has been the responsibility of the Argentinian Contingent since October 1993. Sector One Headquarters and Command Company are located in San Martin Camp, which is near Skouriotissa village. Support Company finds its home at Roca Camp, near Xeros in the north. The two line companies composed of 212 troops are deployed along four permanently manned patrol bases while also conducting mobile patrols from the San Martin and Roca camps.[14]
  • Sector 2 starts at Mammari, west of Nicosia and covers 30 kilometres to Kaimakli, east of Nicosia. Since 1993, has been the responsibility of the 183-strong British contingent, which deploys using the name Operation TOSCA.[15]
  • Sector 4 (the actual 3rd Sector, but because of UNFICYP history still named Sector 4) starts at Kaimakli, east of Nicosia and covers 65 Kilometres to the village of Dhernia, on the east coast of Cyprus. Since 1993, it has been the responsibility of the Slovakian and Hungarian contingent with 202 Soldiers.[16]

In addition to the main sector contingents, there are several other military units under UNFICYP command, including:

  • Military Observer Liaison Officers – involved at all levels across the Force in daily negotiations and liaison functions with both opposing forces (OPFOR).[17]
  • Force Military Police Unit (FMPU) – one of only two remaining multi-national sub units within UNFICYP, the other being the Mobile Force Reserve. The FMPU is commanded by a major of the UK Royal Military Police (RMP), with 7 other members of the RMP as part of the 25 strong unit. Other contributing nationalities are Argentina (6), Hungary (5) and Slovakia (6).[17]
  • Mobile Force Reserve (MFR) – high readiness reserve able to react to any incident anywhere on the island. Formed from the Permanent Force Reserve in 1997, the unit is composed of Argentinean, British, Hungarian and Slovakian peacekeepers, a mix of customs and cultures, where the four different nationalities work together. From 1997 until their departure in 2001 a select contingent of each rotation of Austrian soldiers was part of the MFR. The unit is equipped with Alvis Tactica APCs, which are armed with general-purpose machine guns. The MFR is trained in public order and major incident reaction techniques. In addition the MFR is also trained for air mobile operations using Bell 212 helicopters to rapidly insert into trouble areas.
  • The UN Flight (ARGAIR)[18] – the flight is equipped with three helicopters and, since 1994, has been staffed by 28 airmen from the Argentine Air Force.[18] They use Hughes 500 and Bell 212 helicopters and, by 2003, had logged a total of 10,000 flight hours without accident.[19] During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora was brought in and out of Lebanon by one of their helicopters.[20]
  • Force Engineers – engineering support to UNFICYP is provided by the Integrated Support Services (ISS) and consists of the Chief Engineer (CE), the Force Engineer (FE), the Force Engineer HQ Unit, Support Services Workshop Units, (SSWU) Sector Engineers and Engineering Elements from each contingent.[17]

There are 69 civilian police officers supplied by Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands and Ukraine. In addition, UNFICYP has 147 civilian staff members, 39 of whom were internationally recruited and 108 locally recruited.[12]

Buffer Zone

Main article: United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
 
The UN buffer zone is shown in light blue on the map
 
The buffer zone near Nicosia's Paphos Gate

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarised zone, patrolled by UNFICYP, that was established in 1974 following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and de facto partitions the island into the area controlled by the Government of Cyprus (which is the de jure government for the entire island save for the British Sovereign Base Areas) in the south and that under the illegal Turkish occupation in the north. The zone runs for more than 180.5 kilometres (112.2 mi) along what is colloquially known as the Green Line and has an area of 346 square kilometres (134 sq mi).[21]

The zone stretches for 180 km from the western part of near Kato Pyrgos to the east just south of Famagusta. It cuts through the center of the old town of Nicosia, separating the city into southern and northern sections. There is also a buffer zone around the Kokkina exclave in western Cyprus. The width of the zone ranges from 3.3 metres (11 ft) in central Nicosia, to 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi) at the village of Athienou. There is no buffer zone along the common border between the eastern British Sovereign Base Area and the area under the Republic of Cyprus control or turkish army control.[citation needed]

The buffer zone is home to some 10,000 people and there are several villages and farms located within. The village of Pyla is famous for being the only village on Cyprus where Greeks and Turks live side by side. Other villages are Dhenia, Mammari, Athienou and Troulli while Lymbia lies partially within the zone.[citation needed]

Turkish forces built a barrier on the zone's northern side, consisting mainly of barbed-wire fencing, concrete wall segments, watchtowers, anti-tank ditches, and minefields. This line is also referred to as the Attila Line on some maps, named after the Turkish code-name for the 1974 military invasion: Operation Atilla. The closed off zone has become a haven for Cyprus' wildlife, an example of an involuntary park.[22]

Finances

The annual cost for maintaining UNFICYP is estimated at $57,390,000. This includes the voluntary contribution by the Government of Cyprus of one third of the cost of the force and the annual amount of $6,500,000 contributed by the Government of Greece. Turkey does not directly contribute to the force's budget.[12] The operational cost of UNFICYP just during the period from 16 June 1993 to 31 October 2010 was US$2.91 billion.[23]

Neutrality of UNFICYP

UNFICYP's neutrality mandate dictates the erasure of signs, flags, and emblems in spaces under its authority.[24]

The fact that a third of UNFICYP's budget is covered by one party to the conflict (RoC; i.e., the Greek Cypriots) and one Guarantor (Greece) calls into question the UN's neutrality and constitutes “a conflict of interest"[25] One interlocutor acknowledged that the way the budget of UNFICYP is organized "opens [UNFICYP] to criticism."[26] One added: "How can we be impartial if we take part of the budget from one side?"[27]

In January 2022, around a handball match between Cyprus and Turkey in the qualification for the 2024 European Championship, the decision of the Greek Cypriots not to allow a Turkish player who had tested positive with Covid-19 to be brought to Northern Cyprus with all the safety measures taken was criticized by the de facto TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry also criticized the UNFICYP for not playing a "facilitating role" to in the Turkish team's request, claiming "UNFICYP has moved away from the principle of neutrality, which is one of the most fundamental elements of peace operations, and has become a symbol of the status quo that serves the interests of the Greek Cypriot side."[28] The player was eventually flown to Turkey instead.[29]

Soydemir noted that "not the organization but the individuals can be affected by this approach and their neutrality might be hampered naturally."[30]

Removal of UNFICYP from Cyprus island

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reported in 2011 that "Preliminary internal discussions about the UN presence in Cyprus had been initiated" and hinted that "UNFICYP's continued presence on the island could not be taken for granted".[31]

Removal of UNFICYP from Northern Cyprus

In October 2022, UNFICYP was given an ultimatum by Northern Cyprus (the de facto administration in the north) demanding it recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or to leave the 2 bases it currently has in the north.[32][33][34] Ersin Tatar, the president of Northern Cyprus, stated that in line with the Brahimi Report of the UN,[35] the consent of Northern Cyprus for the stationing of UNFICYP is a must.[36] Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, the foreign minister of Northern Cyprus, stated that the deadline for the ultimatum for requesting the approval of Northern Cyprus for the operations of UNFICYP in Northern Cyprus is the end of October 2022.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Leadership". 13 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b (PDF). United Nations. 4 March 1964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia - Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) | United Nations Secretary-General".
  4. ^ "Unficyp".
  5. ^ "Resolution 2764 (2023)" (PDF).
  6. ^ "UN Peacekeeping Fatalities by Mission and Incident Type" (PDF). United Nations. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  7. ^ "About". 7 May 2014.
  8. ^ . Daily Cyprus. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  9. ^ a b Henn, Francis (2004). A Business of Some Heat: The United Nations Force in Cyprus 1972–74. Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1844150816.
  10. ^ "SNOWGOOSE | Operations Abroad | National Defence | Canadian Armed Forces". Forces.gc.ca. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Srpski mirovnjaci otputovali na Kipar" (in Serbian). Blic Online. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  12. ^ a b c d "UNFICYP Facts and Figures". United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  13. ^ "Ghana joins ranks of Troop Contributing Countries to UNFICYP". United Nations. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  14. ^ . UNFICYP. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  15. ^ . UNFICYP. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  16. ^ . UNFICYP. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  17. ^ a b c . UNFICYP. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  18. ^ a b (in Spanish). Argentine Air Force. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  19. ^ "VII Brigada Aerea". Helis.com.
  20. ^ . UNFICYP. 27 July 2006. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  21. ^ "United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus".
  22. ^ Stephane Jarraud, Nicolas; Lordos, Alexandros (2012). "Participatory Approaches to Environmental Conflict Resolution in Cyprus". Conflict Resolution Quarterly. 29 (3): 261–281. doi:10.1002/crq.21040.
  23. ^ (PDF). United Nations. 26 November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  24. ^ Marie Louise Stig Sørensen and Dacia Viejo-Rose, 2015, War and Cultural Heritage, Cambridge University Press. p.202. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/war-and-cultural-heritage/AE5A7FAC312831F019EC51B90AE6838C
  25. ^ Alexandra Novosselof, 2021, "Assessing the Effectiveness of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus (OSASG)", Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. https://effectivepeaceops.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EPON-Cyprus-Report.pdf
  26. ^ Novosselof, 2021, "Assessing the Effectiveness of the ...UNFICYP..., Interview, UN staff, e-meeting, New York, 15.01.2021. https://effectivepeaceops.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EPON-Cyprus-Report.pdf page 150
  27. ^ Novosselof, 2021, "Assessing the Effectiveness of the ...UNFICYP..., Interview, former UN staff, e-meeting, 03.02.2021. https://effectivepeaceops.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EPON-Cyprus-Report.pdf page 150
  28. ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Statement of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://mfa.gov.ct.tr/statement-of-the-trnc-ministry-of-foreign-affairs
  29. ^ "Turkish handball player air lifted from Cyprus by Turkey". 28 January 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  30. ^ Novosselof, 2021, "Assessing the Effectiveness of the ...UNFICYP..., Abdullah Soydemir, "The Role and Effectiveness of UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Cyprus Island", Girne American University, 30.04.2018. https://effectivepeaceops.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/EPON-Cyprus-Report.pdf page 150
  31. ^ . Cyprus Mail. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  32. ^ Nikolaos Prakas (5 October 2022). "North hands Unficyp a one-month deadline". cyprus-mail.com.
  33. ^ "Turkish Cyprus gives UN peacekeepers ultimatum to seek approval". dailysabah.com. 6 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Turkish Cypriots give UN peacekeepers ultimatum: report". france24.com. 5 October 2022.
  35. ^ Lakhdar Brahimi (17 August 2000). "(A/55/305 S/2000/809) Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations" (PDF). The UN. Retrieved 13 October 2022. "The Panel concurs that consent of the local parties, impartiality and the use of force only in self-defence should remain the bedrock principles of peacekeeping (Executive Summary, page ix)
  36. ^ Muhammet İkbal Arslan (4 August 2022). "TRNC President Tatar: We have not yet received a response from the Greek Cypriot side in response to our cooperation proposals". Anadolu Ajansi. Retrieved 13 October 2022. In the advisory Brahimi Report, which was prepared by the UN in 2000, there is a statement that 'If the UN is going to deploy a UN Peacekeeping Force in areas of conflict, it must absolutely obtain the approval of the parties'. Now the page has changed in Cyprus, a new policy has been developed on the basis of a solution based on the two existing states and their sovereign equality and equal international status. As the Turkish side, we remind the UN of the Brahimi Report. In the report presented to the UN Secretary General by the Peacekeeping Operations Panel formed by the UN in 2000, it is underlined that obtaining the consent of local parties and maintaining impartiality are the basic principles for UN peacekeeping operations. Look at the Brahimi Report and see the facts in Cyprus and make a new assessment. One cannot get anywhere by ignoring the acquired sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People. We expect the UN to observe the requirements of our acquired and vested equality.
  37. ^ "New messages of Ertugruloglu to the UN". Kibrispostasi. Retrieved 16 October 2022. )

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
  • Official website
  • Records of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) at the United Nations Archives

May 05, 2023
united, nations, peacekeeping, force, cyprus, unficyp, united, nations, peacekeeping, force, that, established, under, united, nations, security, council, resolution, 1964, prevent, recurrence, fighting, following, intercommunal, violence, between, greek, cypr. The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions 2 Major General Ingrid Gjerde is the current Force Commander of UNFICYP appointed in 2021 and preceded by Cheryl Pearce Australia 3 Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu Finland is the current Senior Police Adviser appointed in 2021 United NationsPeacekeeping Force in CyprusUNFICYP peacekeepers patrolling the buffer zone AbbreviationUNFICYPFormation1964TypePeacekeeping forceLegal statusActiveHeadquartersBlue Beret Camp Nicosia International AirportHeadElizabeth Spehar Canada Head of Mission amp Special Representative of the Secretary General in Cyprus 1 Major General Ingrid Gjerde Norway Force Commander Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu Finland Senior Police Adviser Parent organizationDepartment of Peacekeeping OperationsWebsiteUNFICYP Home pageFollowing the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d etat and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus the United Nations Security Council extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo Since its establishment the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute Initially UNFICYP consisted of military and civilian contingents drawn from Australia Austria Canada Denmark Finland Ireland New Zealand Sweden and the United Kingdom However over its long history the force has been the subject of various UNSC resolutions and reorganisations and currently comprises contingents from Argentina Australia Austria Bosnia Herzegovina Brazil Canada Croatia El Salvador Ghana Hungary India Ireland Italy Montenegro the Netherlands Peru Serbia Slovakia Ukraine and the United Kingdom As of 2018 the mission has a strength of 1 009 4 The mandate for UNFICYP was last renewed on the 30th of January 2023 and extended until 31 January 2024 5 Contents 1 History 1 1 Fatalities 2 Deployment 2 1 Prior to 1974 2 2 Since 1993 3 Buffer Zone 4 Finances 5 Neutrality of UNFICYP 6 Removal of UNFICYP from Cyprus island 7 Removal of UNFICYP from Northern Cyprus 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksHistory EditUnited Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions 2 Following the 1974 Greek Cypriot coup d etat and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus the United Nations Security Council UNSC extended and expanded the mission to prevent the dispute turning into war and UNFICYP was redeployed to patrol the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus and assist in the maintenance of the military status quo Since its establishment the force has also worked in concert with the Special Representative of the Secretary General and representatives of the two communities to seek an amicable diplomatic solution to the Cyprus dispute On 5 December 2006 the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended a further six month extension in the mandate of the UN mission that has been deployed on the island for over four decades Mr Annan said that while the situation remained calm and stable with no major violations of the ceasefire lines he regretted the continued stalemate in the political process and the missed opportunities over the past 10 years citation needed Fatalities Edit Up to and including 30 June 2017 UNFICYP has suffered 183 fatalities 6 7 Accidents 99 Illnesses 45 Malicious acts 15 Other 24Deployment EditUNFICYP is headquartered from the Blue Beret Camp next to the abandoned airport of Nicosia The current force commander is Major General Ingrid Gjerde of Norway UNFICYP Force Commander of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus 8 Prior to 1974 Edit UNFICYP deployments as of December 1972 Upon UNFICYP s arrival on the island the national contingents were each assigned a sector which mostly coincided with the boundaries of the civil districts 9 Paphos District Austrian contingent Lefka District consisting of the Western part of Nicosia District Danish contingent Limassol Zone consisting of Limassol District New Zealand contingent and the Western half of Larnaka District British contingent Nicosia District Canadian contingent Larnaca Sector consisting of the Eastern half of Larnaka District Irish contingent Kyrenia District Finnish contingent Famagusta District Swedish contingentWhen in October 1973 the Irish contingent was withdrawn from Cyprus in support of the United Nations Emergency Force during the Yom Kippur War the Austrian contingent was relocated from Paphos District which was subsequently absorbed by the British contingent to Larnaca District to replace them with the Western half which had previously been patrolled by the British contingent absorbed into the Austrian sector 9 Canada in UNFICYP From 15 March 1964 to 15 June 1993 Canada maintained a battalion sized contingent of peace support troops in UNFICYP During this period the Canadian contingent went through 59 rotations and some 25 000 CAF personnel completed six month tours on the island With Denmark Ireland and Finland Canada was one of the four original contributors of troops to UNFICYP committed by the government of Prime Minister Lester B Pearson on 12 March 1964 The lead elements of the initial rotation of the Canadian contingent arrived on 15 March 1964 followed by a brigade headquarters the 1st Battalion Royal 22e Regiment and a Reconnaissance Squadron from The Royal Canadian Dragoons mounted in Ferret scout cars that were transported to Cyprus by HMCS Bonaventure By 1993 when Canada withdrew its combat arms contingent from UNFICYP every infantry battalion of the Regular Force had deployed to Cyprus at least once and Regular Force artillery and armoured regiments had reorganized for infantry duties to take their turns The current contribution are small numbers of staff officers on one year rotations The operation name Snowgoose dates from July 1974 when the Canadian contingent in UNFICYP originally made up of 1 Commando Canadian Airborne Regiment and the Airborne Field Squadron the combat engineer element of the Canadian Airborne Regiment was rapidly augmented by 2 Commando and 3 Commando in response to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus that began on 20 July 1974 10 Since 1993 Edit UNFICYP deployment as of 2015 The Argentine Contingent s San Martin Camp As of 31 May 2012 the total strength military personnel and civilian police of UNFICYP is 926 individuals The 858 military personnel are from Argentina Austria Brazil Canada Chile China Croatia Hungary Paraguay Peru Serbia 11 Slovakia and the United Kingdom 12 On 31 October 2019 Ghana began contributing to the peacekeeping forces in Cyprus 13 UNFICYP s military personnel are mostly divided up into national contingents with each major contingent being responsible for one of the buffer zone s three remaining sectors The Argentine contingent includes soldiers from the Argentine military forces including the Argentine Army and the Argentine Marines as well as from Brazil Paraguay and Chile whereas the Slovak contingent includes soldiers from Croatia 12 Sector 1 starts at Kokkina exclave and covers approximately 90 kilometres to Mammari west of Nicosia It has been the responsibility of the Argentinian Contingent since October 1993 Sector One Headquarters and Command Company are located in San Martin Camp which is near Skouriotissa village Support Company finds its home at Roca Camp near Xeros in the north The two line companies composed of 212 troops are deployed along four permanently manned patrol bases while also conducting mobile patrols from the San Martin and Roca camps 14 Sector 2 starts at Mammari west of Nicosia and covers 30 kilometres to Kaimakli east of Nicosia Since 1993 has been the responsibility of the 183 strong British contingent which deploys using the name Operation TOSCA 15 Sector 4 the actual 3rd Sector but because of UNFICYP history still named Sector 4 starts at Kaimakli east of Nicosia and covers 65 Kilometres to the village of Dhernia on the east coast of Cyprus Since 1993 it has been the responsibility of the Slovakian and Hungarian contingent with 202 Soldiers 16 In addition to the main sector contingents there are several other military units under UNFICYP command including Military Observer Liaison Officers involved at all levels across the Force in daily negotiations and liaison functions with both opposing forces OPFOR 17 Force Military Police Unit FMPU one of only two remaining multi national sub units within UNFICYP the other being the Mobile Force Reserve The FMPU is commanded by a major of the UK Royal Military Police RMP with 7 other members of the RMP as part of the 25 strong unit Other contributing nationalities are Argentina 6 Hungary 5 and Slovakia 6 17 Mobile Force Reserve MFR high readiness reserve able to react to any incident anywhere on the island Formed from the Permanent Force Reserve in 1997 the unit is composed of Argentinean British Hungarian and Slovakian peacekeepers a mix of customs and cultures where the four different nationalities work together From 1997 until their departure in 2001 a select contingent of each rotation of Austrian soldiers was part of the MFR The unit is equipped with Alvis Tactica APCs which are armed with general purpose machine guns The MFR is trained in public order and major incident reaction techniques In addition the MFR is also trained for air mobile operations using Bell 212 helicopters to rapidly insert into trouble areas The UN Flight ARGAIR 18 the flight is equipped with three helicopters and since 1994 has been staffed by 28 airmen from the Argentine Air Force 18 They use Hughes 500 and Bell 212 helicopters and by 2003 had logged a total of 10 000 flight hours without accident 19 During the 2006 Israel Lebanon conflict the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora was brought in and out of Lebanon by one of their helicopters 20 Force Engineers engineering support to UNFICYP is provided by the Integrated Support Services ISS and consists of the Chief Engineer CE the Force Engineer FE the Force Engineer HQ Unit Support Services Workshop Units SSWU Sector Engineers and Engineering Elements from each contingent 17 There are 69 civilian police officers supplied by Australia Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia El Salvador India Ireland Italy Montenegro the Netherlands and Ukraine In addition UNFICYP has 147 civilian staff members 39 of whom were internationally recruited and 108 locally recruited 12 Buffer Zone EditMain article United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The UN buffer zone is shown in light blue on the map The buffer zone near Nicosia s Paphos Gate The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarised zone patrolled by UNFICYP that was established in 1974 following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and de facto partitions the island into the area controlled by the Government of Cyprus which is the de jure government for the entire island save for the British Sovereign Base Areas in the south and that under the illegal Turkish occupation in the north The zone runs for more than 180 5 kilometres 112 2 mi along what is colloquially known as the Green Line and has an area of 346 square kilometres 134 sq mi 21 The zone stretches for 180 km from the western part of near Kato Pyrgos to the east just south of Famagusta It cuts through the center of the old town of Nicosia separating the city into southern and northern sections There is also a buffer zone around the Kokkina exclave in western Cyprus The width of the zone ranges from 3 3 metres 11 ft in central Nicosia to 7 4 kilometres 4 6 mi at the village of Athienou There is no buffer zone along the common border between the eastern British Sovereign Base Area and the area under the Republic of Cyprus control or turkish army control citation needed The buffer zone is home to some 10 000 people and there are several villages and farms located within The village of Pyla is famous for being the only village on Cyprus where Greeks and Turks live side by side Other villages are Dhenia Mammari Athienou and Troulli while Lymbia lies partially within the zone citation needed Turkish forces built a barrier on the zone s northern side consisting mainly of barbed wire fencing concrete wall segments watchtowers anti tank ditches and minefields This line is also referred to as the Attila Line on some maps named after the Turkish code name for the 1974 military invasion Operation Atilla The closed off zone has become a haven for Cyprus wildlife an example of an involuntary park 22 Finances EditThe annual cost for maintaining UNFICYP is estimated at 57 390 000 This includes the voluntary contribution by the Government of Cyprus of one third of the cost of the force and the annual amount of 6 500 000 contributed by the Government of Greece Turkey does not directly contribute to the force s budget 12 The operational cost of UNFICYP just during the period from 16 June 1993 to 31 October 2010 was US 2 91 billion 23 Neutrality of UNFICYP EditUNFICYP s neutrality mandate dictates the erasure of signs flags and emblems in spaces under its authority 24 The fact that a third of UNFICYP s budget is covered by one party to the conflict RoC i e the Greek Cypriots and one Guarantor Greece calls into question the UN s neutrality and constitutes a conflict of interest 25 One interlocutor acknowledged that the way the budget of UNFICYP is organized opens UNFICYP to criticism 26 One added How can we be impartial if we take part of the budget from one side 27 In January 2022 around a handball match between Cyprus and Turkey in the qualification for the 2024 European Championship the decision of the Greek Cypriots not to allow a Turkish player who had tested positive with Covid 19 to be brought to Northern Cyprus with all the safety measures taken was criticized by the de facto TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs The ministry also criticized the UNFICYP for not playing a facilitating role to in the Turkish team s request claiming UNFICYP has moved away from the principle of neutrality which is one of the most fundamental elements of peace operations and has become a symbol of the status quo that serves the interests of the Greek Cypriot side 28 The player was eventually flown to Turkey instead 29 Soydemir noted that not the organization but the individuals can be affected by this approach and their neutrality might be hampered naturally 30 Removal of UNFICYP from Cyprus island EditUN Secretary General Ban Ki moon reported in 2011 that Preliminary internal discussions about the UN presence in Cyprus had been initiated and hinted that UNFICYP s continued presence on the island could not be taken for granted 31 Removal of UNFICYP from Northern Cyprus EditIn October 2022 UNFICYP was given an ultimatum by Northern Cyprus the de facto administration in the north demanding it recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or to leave the 2 bases it currently has in the north 32 33 34 Ersin Tatar the president of Northern Cyprus stated that in line with the Brahimi Report of the UN 35 the consent of Northern Cyprus for the stationing of UNFICYP is a must 36 Tahsin Ertugruloglu the foreign minister of Northern Cyprus stated that the deadline for the ultimatum for requesting the approval of Northern Cyprus for the operations of UNFICYP in Northern Cyprus is the end of October 2022 37 See also Edit Politics portal Cyprus portalCypriot refugees Republic of Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation in CyprusReferences Edit Leadership 13 March 2015 a b United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 1964 PDF United Nations 4 March 1964 Archived from the original PDF on 21 April 2012 Retrieved 18 July 2012 Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP United Nations Secretary General Unficyp Resolution 2764 2023 PDF UN Peacekeeping Fatalities by Mission and Incident Type PDF United Nations 30 June 2017 Retrieved 29 July 2017 About 7 May 2014 First Case of CoronaVirus in UNFICYP Daily Cyprus Archived from the original on 19 August 2020 Retrieved 10 April 2020 a b Henn Francis 2004 A Business of Some Heat The United Nations Force in Cyprus 1972 74 Pen amp Sword Military ISBN 978 1844150816 SNOWGOOSE Operations Abroad National Defence Canadian Armed Forces Forces gc ca 20 February 2013 Retrieved 29 March 2017 Srpski mirovnjaci otputovali na Kipar in Serbian Blic Online 21 October 2010 Retrieved 4 July 2012 a b c d UNFICYP Facts and Figures United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus 31 May 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 Ghana joins ranks of Troop Contributing Countries to UNFICYP United Nations 31 October 2019 Retrieved 2 November 2019 Sector One UNFICYP 30 April 2008 Archived from the original on 17 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 Sector Two UNFICYP 30 April 2008 Archived from the original on 17 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 Sector Four UNFICYP 30 April 2008 Archived from the original on 17 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 a b c Other Key Units UNFICYP 30 April 2008 Archived from the original on 17 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 a b United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in Spanish Argentine Air Force 8 August 2008 Archived from the original on 7 April 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2012 VII Brigada Aerea Helis com Photo Release Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora at Larnaca airport before being flown by UN helicopter to Beirut UNFICYP 27 July 2006 Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 Retrieved 13 September 2010 United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus Stephane Jarraud Nicolas Lordos Alexandros 2012 Participatory Approaches to Environmental Conflict Resolution in Cyprus Conflict Resolution Quarterly 29 3 261 281 doi 10 1002 crq 21040 Report of the Secretary General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus S 2010 605 PDF United Nations 26 November 2010 Archived from the original PDF on 3 February 2014 Retrieved 4 July 2012 Marie Louise Stig Sorensen and Dacia Viejo Rose 2015 War and Cultural Heritage Cambridge University Press p 202 https www cambridge org core books war and cultural heritage AE5A7FAC312831F019EC51B90AE6838C Alexandra Novosselof 2021 Assessing the Effectiveness of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP and the Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Cyprus OSASG Norwegian Institute of International Affairs https effectivepeaceops net wp content uploads 2021 10 EPON Cyprus Report pdf Novosselof 2021 Assessing the Effectiveness of the UNFICYP Interview UN staff e meeting New York 15 01 2021 https effectivepeaceops net wp content uploads 2021 10 EPON Cyprus Report pdf page 150 Novosselof 2021 Assessing the Effectiveness of the UNFICYP Interview former UN staff e meeting 03 02 2021 https effectivepeaceops net wp content uploads 2021 10 EPON Cyprus Report pdf page 150 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Statement of the TRNC Ministry of Foreign Affairs https mfa gov ct tr statement of the trnc ministry of foreign affairs Turkish handball player air lifted from Cyprus by Turkey 28 January 2022 Retrieved 25 October 2022 Novosselof 2021 Assessing the Effectiveness of the UNFICYP Abdullah Soydemir The Role and Effectiveness of UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Cyprus Island Girne American University 30 04 2018 https effectivepeaceops net wp content uploads 2021 10 EPON Cyprus Report pdf page 150 Our View UN is stepping up the pressure Cyprus Mail 5 March 2011 Archived from the original on 6 March 2011 Retrieved 6 March 2011 Nikolaos Prakas 5 October 2022 North hands Unficyp a one month deadline cyprus mail com Turkish Cyprus gives UN peacekeepers ultimatum to seek approval dailysabah com 6 October 2022 Turkish Cypriots give UN peacekeepers ultimatum report france24 com 5 October 2022 Lakhdar Brahimi 17 August 2000 A 55 305 S 2000 809 Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations PDF The UN Retrieved 13 October 2022 The Panel concurs that consent of the local parties impartiality and the use of force only in self defence should remain the bedrock principles of peacekeeping Executive Summary page ix Muhammet Ikbal Arslan 4 August 2022 TRNC President Tatar We have not yet received a response from the Greek Cypriot side in response to our cooperation proposals Anadolu Ajansi Retrieved 13 October 2022 In the advisory Brahimi Report which was prepared by the UN in 2000 there is a statement that If the UN is going to deploy a UN Peacekeeping Force in areas of conflict it must absolutely obtain the approval of the parties Now the page has changed in Cyprus a new policy has been developed on the basis of a solution based on the two existing states and their sovereign equality and equal international status As the Turkish side we remind the UN of the Brahimi Report In the report presented to the UN Secretary General by the Peacekeeping Operations Panel formed by the UN in 2000 it is underlined that obtaining the consent of local parties and maintaining impartiality are the basic principles for UN peacekeeping operations Look at the Brahimi Report and see the facts in Cyprus and make a new assessment One cannot get anywhere by ignoring the acquired sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot People We expect the UN to observe the requirements of our acquired and vested equality New messages of Ertugruloglu to the UN Kibrispostasi Retrieved 16 October 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus Official website Records of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus UNFICYP at the United Nations Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus amp oldid 1138699642, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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