United Nations deminers in Cyprus have cleared and destroyed more than 25,000 landmines, a major step towards making the island mine-free and eliminating barriers between its two communities.
Since 2004, teams of deminers from the UN Mine Action Centre in Cyprus (UNMACC) have been working on the island to rid the 180 kilometre long buffer zone of landmines, originally laid during the outbreak of violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in 1974.
Lisa Buttenheim, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus, said: “Reaching this milestone is another important step forward in our activities serving the two communities. [It] will hopefully serve as a prelude to a successful and satisfactory follow-on phase as we move towards our stated goal of a mine-free buffer zone and, eventually, we hope, a mine-free Cyprus.”
Since launching its operations six years ago UNMACC has released 9.5 million square metres of land for farming and other activities.
Of the 25,000 landmines cleared and destroyed, over 17,000 were anti-personnel and 8,000 were anti-tank mines left behind from the 1974 events. It is estimated that as many as 15,000 landmines remain on the island and two million square metres of land may still be contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
In addition to the humanitarian aspects of demining, the political impact of clearance is significant as it will both eliminate a physical barrier that divides the two sides as well as building confidence for other joint initiatives. The discussions between all of the relevant stakeholders regarding the clearance initiative have shown significant progress.
“Our hope is that the announcement will instil an even stronger commitment on the part of both communities to rid the island completely of its deadly landmine heritage, driven by the recognition that landmines have no place in any civilized society,” added Ms Buttenheim.
Max Dyck, UNMACC Project Manager, said: “Landmine removal and disposal is a painstaking and hazardous business involving precision, patience and, above all, expertise.
“We have managed to get to where we are today with great cooperation from our stakeholders and we look forward to continuing these good relationships with the aim of achieving a mine-free Cyprus.”
The UNMACC project is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Cyprus through the United Nations Development Programme. It is executed by UNOPS with support from the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.