Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline: 1 July 2016
(Not on track to meet deadline)

Recommendations for action

• Cyprus should clarify whether mine contamination remains in any areas they control, including in or close to the buffer zone.
• Cyprus and Turkey should both heed the UN Secretary-General’s call for “both leaders to intensify their efforts…to facilitate, without delay, access to all remaining mined areas inside and outside the buffer zone, in line with Security Council Resolution 2197 (2015), and to achieve, finally, a mine-free Cyprus.”[1]

Contamination

The Republic of Cyprus is contaminated by antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. The island has been divided geographically and politically by a heavily mined, 180km-long buffer zone since 1974 when Turkish Armed Forces occupied the north of the island. Minefields were laid within and outside the UN buffer zone by both the Greek Cypriot National Guard and the Turkish armed forces. The exact extent of the remaining mine contamination across the island is not known. 

A total of 20 mined areas containing 4,653 antipersonnel mines previously existed in areas under the effective control of Cyprus outside the buffer zone, which had been emplaced by the National Guard. An additional 81 mined areas were located within the buffer zone (13 of which contained mines laid by the National Guard) containing a total of 27,174 mines and extending over almost 11km².[2]

In total, between becoming a State Party on 1 July 2003 and its original Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline of July 2013, Cyprus released all 20 mined areas under its effective control.[3] In November 2013, Cyprus reported that no minefields under Cypriot control remained in the buffer zone after having cleared two mined areas in Dali in 2012 and a further mined area at Potamia by July 2013 in accordance with its National Plan.[4] According to Cyprus, the sole remaining minefield in the buffer zone is located in Turkish-controlled area.[5]

However, in July 2015, a report of the Secretary-General on the UN operation in Cyprus, noted that “no progress was registered on the issue of access to the four known remaining minefields in the buffer zone, of which three are under the control of the National Guard and one is under the control of the Turkish forces, despite requests by UNFICYP [the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus].”[6] This raises questions as to whether there may in fact still be contamination in Cypriot-controlled areas of the buffer zone.

The extent of contamination in areas controlled by Turkish armed forces is not known, although Cyprus has claimed in its latest Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency report that 21 minefields laid by Turkey’s occupation forces, mostly next to the buffer zone, “are known not yet to be cleared of anti-personnel mines…Precise information on their size, on their composition (whether they include mines other than anti-personnel mines) and on how much land can be safely treated as arable when mines have been cleared are unknown.”[7]

Cyprus further reported that “before and during the invasion of 1974, the Cypriot National Guard laid…28 minefields north of Nicosia towards the Pentadaktylos mountain range, which are today located in the Turkish-occupied areas. The latter minefields included 1,006 anti-personnel mines, but the Republic of Cyprus is not aware of the current condition of these minefields and whether they have been cleared by the Turkish Armed Forces or not.”[8]

According to the Mine Ban Treaty Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Cyprus may be in a position to report, in accordance with Mine Ban Treaty Article 7, on the location of these mined areas, and include as much detail as possible regarding the type and quantity of each type of antipersonnel mine in each mined area.[9] The Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, subsequently provided the president of Northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci, with coordinates of the 28 minefields during a meeting on 15 May 2015.[10] This meeting marked the re-launching of negotiations after an almost seven-month hiatus, and the decision to provide information on these minefields was commended by the UN Secretary-General.[11]

Program Management

In the buffer zone, survey is typically conducted by the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Clearance is conducted by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Troop Contributing Country (TCC) demining teams (currently the Cambodian Construction & Engineering Company (CAMBCOY)), as part of UNFICYP’s inter-mission cooperation with UNIFIL.[12]

Quality assurance

External quality assurance (QA) is conducted by the UNMAS Lebanon QA section, in accordance with procedures detailed in its standard working procedures (SWP) and the national technical and safety guidelines (TSG).[13] 

Land Release 

The total mined land released by clearance and technical survey in 2014 was 34,032m², comprising 7,032m² cleared and 27,000m² reduced by technical survey. A further 50,000m² was cancelled in 2014 by non-technical survey. 

Previously, in 2013, Cyprus cleared 1,130 antipersonnel mines from the mined area near Potamia village.[14] In total, between entry into force in July 2003 and its original July 2013 deadline, Cyprus released the 20 mined areas under its effective control.[15]

As of March 2015, Cyprus was not aware of any clearance progress in the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces, or in the buffer zone.[16] However, subsequent developments in May 2015 (detailed in the contamination section), resulted in survey of suspected mined areas in Turkish controlled territory in northern Cyprus. 

Survey in 2014

In April 2014, UNMAS surveyed an area in Mammari, suspected as contaminated with mines displaced into the buffer zone through flooding in December 2013.[17] During the survey, 7,000m² of land was confirmed as mined while 7,000m² was reduced by technical survey.[18] In addition, UNMAS also surveyed two areas in Famagusta, in the eastern edge of the buffer zone, during which 20,000m² was confirmed as mined but which was subsequently reduced by technical survey. A further 50,000m² was cancelled.[19]

Clearance in 2014

Clearance of the confirmed hazardous area (CHA) contaminated with mines in Mammari, which was contaminated as a result of flooding, was conducted by a 21-strong CAMBCOY demining team, working under UNIFIL.[20] The operation in April 2014[21] resulted in clearance of 7,032m² and destruction of one antivehicle mine.[22]

Progress in 2015

Buffer zone

On 30 December 2014, mines were displaced into the buffer zone from north of the ceasefire line owing to heavy rain. The area, which is near Mammari in sector 1, is regularly patrolled by UNFICYP and farmed by civilians.[23] 

UNMAS conducted non-technical survey of the Mammari area in February 2015.[24] In addition, as part of a pre-deployment visit, and in their capacity as tasking manager for all UNIFIL TCC demining assets, CAMBCOY also conducted survey of the wash-out area in Mammari in April 2015, during which 16,691m² was confirmed as mined, and an additional 45,000m² was reduced by technical survey.[25] 

Clearance began on 26 May 2015, conducted by a 20-strong team, also deployed by UNIFIL’s CAMBCOY, as part of UNFICYP’s inter-mission cooperation with UNIFIL.[26] During clearance, 16,691m² was cleared, during which three antivehicle mines (one mine considered as complete, two others found in parts), one antivehicle mine fuze, one antipersonnel mine fuze, and two antivehicle TNT pieces were destroyed.[27] The task was completed on 2 September 2015, and the suspected mined area in the buffer zone (resulting from the flooding) was declared clear and handed back to the community and landowners on 9 September 2015.[28]

The UN Secretary-General reported that “to avoid a similar incident in the future, UNFICYP liaised closely with the Turkish Cypriot authorities and secured their commitment to clear the area north of the ceasefire line in the coming months.”[29]

Turkish-controlled territory in northern Cyprus

On 4 June 2015, the President of Northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci, asked for assistance to address the 28 minefields on Turkish-controlled territory in northern Cyprus. In response, and with the view to facilitating future demining, UNFICYP and UNMAS worked to refine the data and map out the minefields, which are suspected of containing both antivehicle and antipersonnel mines.[30]

A non-technical survey to assess the scope of the contamination and the requirements for subsequent clearance started on 18 June 2015[31] and was completed on 7 July 2015.[32] The survey was conducted by UNMAS, supported by Turkish Engineering Forces, in conjunction with UNFICYP. UNMAS performed quality assurance.[33]

During the survey, a total of 321,363m² was cancelled while 92,963m² was confirmed as mined. This included the 28 minefields referred to above (one of which was sub-divided into three minefields), of which 25 were cancelled, totaling 321,363m², and the remaining five areas, totaling 6,163m², were confirmed as mined. An additional 13 minefields were cancelled (area not verified), while nine other suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) were confirmed as mined, totaling 86,800m².[34]

There is no agreed timeline for technical survey and clearance of the confirmed hazardous areas, as negotiations regarding demining continue between the different parties and resource mobilization efforts are being undertaken by UNFICYP.[35] As of October 2015, demining of the areas was in a planning process between UNMAS and UNFICYP.[36]

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the three-year extension granted by States Parties in 2012), Cyprus is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 July 2016.

Cyprus cleared all antipersonnel mines in mined areas that it accepted were under its control within 10 years of becoming a State Party, namely by 1 July 2013. A three-year extension to its Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline until 1 July 2016 was requested and approved in 2012, due to antipersonnel mine contamination remaining in territory occupied by the Turkish forces, which it was unable to clear.[37]

On 27 March 2015, Cyprus submitted a second Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 extension request, for a further three-year extension, until 1 July 2019. The reason cited for the second extension request was the same as the first request, namely that Cyprus does not have effective control over remaining contaminated areas.[38]

Turkey’s original Article 5 clearance deadline was 1 March 2014. In 2013, States Parties granted Turkey an eight-year extension for clearance of mines in Turkey, but Turkey did not request additional time for clearance in Cyprus.[39]

At the intersessional meetings in June 2015, Cyprus stated that “negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus question have recently resumed and there are good reasons for being hopeful that this will in fact be the last extension request that Cyprus needs to submit.”[40]

The UN Security Council, most recently in July 2015, has called on both sides to facilitate clearance of all remaining mined areas on the island.[41] The Council noted with regret “that the sides are withholding access to the remaining minefields in the buffer zone, and that demining in Cyprus must continue.” The Council also noted “the continued danger posed by mines in Cyprus,” referring to “recent proposals and discussions as well as positive initiatives on demining,” and urging “rapid agreement on facilitating the recommencement of demining operations and clearance of the remaining minefields.”[42] The Council called on “both sides to allow access to deminers and to facilitate the removal of the remaining mines in Cyprus within the buffer zone,” and urged “both sides to extend demining operations outside the buffer zone.”[43] 

The corresponding report of the UN Secretary-General stated that: “With the opening of new crossing points, which will require mine clearance around the ceasefire lines, a comprehensive approach to demining is now required.” The Secretary-General called upon “both leaders to intensify their efforts to that end, to facilitate, without delay, access to all remaining mined areas inside and outside the buffer zone, in line with Security Council resolution 2197 (2015), and to achieve, finally, a mine-free Cyprus.”[44]