Denia leader calls for more visible Unficyp presence near buffer zone

Denia, Cyprus. Denia community leader Charalambos Alexandrou said on Thursday that local representatives and farmers had asked the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp) to make its presence more noticeable around the village.

He made the comments after meeting Unficyp chief Khassim Diagne, who acknowledged staffing shortages and said he would seek to increase the United Nations presence in the area.

Meeting with Unficyp

Alexandrou told the Cyprus News Agency that Diagne met members of the village council at their initiative to discuss the concerns of farmers and local residents.

He said Diagne and his delegation told them that they could not do more and could not use force to deter buffer zone violations.

Call for patrols and intervention

Alexandrou said local farmers requested more visible Unficyp activity to reduce violations by the Turkish side.

He said this could be achieved through increased patrols and intervention in incidents in the buffer zone, rather than remaining observers.

He added that Diagne said he needed time and would try to make the United Nations presence in the region more noticeable.

Continuing tensions

Alexandrou said the frequency of Turkish violations had remained at the same level, though violations were continuous at certain points. He said a solution was needed to prevent more serious problems.

Although recent buffer zone tensions have largely focused on Pyla, near Larnaca, the section between Nicosia and Morphou, where Denia is located, has also periodically seen heightened tensions.

Earlier this year, disagreements arose between Greek Cypriot farmers and Turkish forces over the use of farmland south of nearby Avlona, which is located in the north. Alexandrou said such disputes have increased in frequency in recent months.