United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has strongly condemned the attack on UN peacekeepers near Pyla in Cyprus on Friday.
In a statement, he stressed that endangering the safety of UN peacekeepers and causing harm to UN property is unacceptable and could potentially qualify as serious violations of international law.
Additionally, Guterres called upon the Turkish Cypriot side to uphold the authority of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), a mandate sanctioned by the Security Council. He urged an immediate withdrawal of all personnel and equipment from the UN buffer zone, while also encouraging constructive re-engagement with UNFICYP to collaboratively navigate a way forward in the Pyla area.
The Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, communicated the Secretary-General’s stance through a statement released in New York. Dujarric affirmed, “The Secretary-General condemns the assault today against United Nations peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) by Turkish Cypriot security personnel.”
Dujarric iterated, “The Secretary-General stresses that threats to the safety of UN peacekeepers and damage to UN property are unacceptable and may constitute serious crimes under international law.”
He also conveyed Guterres’ call for the Turkish Cypriot side to respect UNFICYP’s mandate as stipulated by the Security Council and to promptly remove all personnel and machinery from the UN buffer zone.
Furthermore, Guterres urged the Turkish Cypriot side to engage constructively with UNFICYP, seeking mutually agreeable solutions for the challenges in the Pyla/Pile area.
“The Secretary-General reiterates his long-standing call on the parties to refrain from taking any unilateral actions that may raise tensions and compromise finding a mutually acceptable way forward,” Dujarric concluded.
