In ethnically split Cyprus, buffer zone tensions persist after decades, a UN official says

Decades on from the ethnic division of Cyprus, tensions persist along the 180-kilometer buffer zone separating breakaway Turkish Cypriots from Greek Cypriots in the internationally recognized south, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping force on the island said Monday.

Colin Stewart told a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the force's deployment that peacekeepers record "hundreds of incidents" every month and "work hard to de-escalate tensions before they get out of hand."

He said the nature of the military violations has grown more sophisticated and dangerous, citing the installation of "sophisticated surveillance equipment and major new military infrastructure."

"In recent years, there has also been a growing challenge to the status quo of the ceasefire lines, the integrity of the buffer zone and to the UN's mandated authority," Stewart said.

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