Avlona: A violation in the buffer zone at Avlona was reported on Sunday by the president of the village Community Council, Menelaos Savva, who noted that peacekeepers intervened immediately.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Savva explained that a settler from Turkey entered the buffer zone on Sunday morning with a tractor. The settler accessed the area through the Turkish-occupied region and began cutting grass on land that was not his. The area in question had been designated a 'frozen area' by the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) several years ago, restricting lawful landowners from Avlona from cultivating their property. Savva expressed concern that settlers were exploiting this restriction.
Savva mentioned that the community had previously appealed to the peacekeeping force and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, ?hassim Diagne, to relocate the peacekeepers' patrol road to the northern side of the buffer zone to prevent such violations. However, they had not received any response to this request. He emphasized the community's desire for lawful landowners to regain access to their land for cultivation.
During a recent meeting with Diagne, Savva was promised immediate intervention in such incidents. True to this promise, peacekeepers arrived at the scene 'within minutes' and instructed the farmer to vacate the area. Savva expressed gratitude for the prompt response and noted that UNFICYP had increased their patrols in the buffer zone.
UNFICYP spokesperson Aleem Siddique confirmed to CNA that the peacekeepers observed the farmer in an area where he was not permitted. A patrol was dispatched, and the rules governing the buffer zone were explained to the farmer, who then left voluntarily. Siddique assured that there was no involvement of any other parties and no reason for concern.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Despite multiple rounds of UN-led peace talks, a resolution has yet to be achieved. The latest negotiations, held in July 2017 at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, ended without a conclusive agreement.