UN demining officers have recently arrived in Cyprus to set up an office to launch a demining programme with the two sides on the island, reported CNA English on Friday.
Sources stated that the demining officers will liaise with the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot sides and decide on the locations to begin the process.
After the Cambodian officers left Cyprus last year, the UN’s Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) did not have any funding and a request for demining activities was recently approved by the Security Council.
Following the Council decision, demining officers arrived in Cyprus to set up a demining office which will act as an advisory service and will set up a programme for demining, the sources said.
UN-controlled buffer zone
The locations that will be covered are all in the UN-controlled buffer zone, according to CNA English’s sources, who explained that “there are lots of locations but no decision has been taken as to which site will be the first to demine.”
The operation is still in the early set up phase and the demining officers have just arrived, noted the sources, adding that they are expected to liaise with the two sides “and then see where the location of the programme is going to start.”
The sources added that “its work is still in progress”.
The demining office is expected to start its work this year, within months, they outlined.
7,000 mines left
It is estimated that more than 7,000 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines still remain in the ground across the island of Cyprus, affecting two million square metres of land, the UNFICYP announced.
According to a fact sheet, in 2015, four minefields remained inside the buffer zone and more than 35 minefields were still scattered across the island.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. UNFICYP arrived on the island in March 1964, one of the longest serving UN peacekeeping forces. UN-led peace talks are currently underway to reunite the country.
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