Over the past three years, Cyprus has significantly modernized the surveillance system along the Green Line.
Modern cameras, thermal imagers and audiovisual equipment are installed in the buffer zone, which works around the clock. The control is carried out jointly by the Ministry of Defense, the Police and the Cyprus National Guard in constant coordination with the UN peacekeeping mission UNFICYP.
New systems make it possible to quickly record suspicious movements and quickly transfer information to law enforcement agencies. When activity is detected, the National Guard immediately notifies the police, and UN liaison officers are involved in coordinating the way forward.
Increased security measures are associated with both migration flows and general instability in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The Green Line remains one of the most sensitive areas of the island, and control over it is of strategic importance for the security of Cyprus.
In recent years, authorities have also dismantled most of the wire fences along the demarcation line. The only exceptions are hard-to-reach areas with ravines and difficult terrain, where it is technically impossible to completely remove old structures.
Particular attention is paid to areas that are considered difficult to monitor. Among them are called Avlona, where the features of the area make it difficult to fully observe. At the same time, the village of Pila continues to work in a special regime under the control of the UN. This is the only settlement on the island where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live together.
The Green Line has divided Cyprus since 1963. After the events of 1974, the buffer zone expanded significantly and today stretches about 180 kilometers across the entire island. In old Nicosia, its width is only a few meters, while in rural areas it can stretch for kilometers.
Today, more than 10 thousand people live and work in the buffer zone. Many areas are used for agriculture, and some areas are considered a unique natural area due to minimal human intervention.
The UN peacekeeping mission continues to patrol the territory on foot, by car, bicycle and helicopter. The operation involves about 800 troops from Argentina, Great Britain, Slovakia and Hungary. According to UNFICYP, about a thousand different incidents are recorded in the buffer zone every year.
Experts note that the strengthening of control on the “green” line is taking place against the backdrop of the growing attention of the European Union to the security of external borders and illegal migration. For Cyprus, this remains one of the key challenges of recent years.
Источник: en.philenews.com
https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-usilil-kontrol-zelenoj-linii
